Scams involving car insurance are both common in rural and urban areas. They can happen at any hour of the day or night. They can happen at rush hour or on quiet roads, in sun and rain. It is important to be aware that scammers are out there looking for people just like you. It’s all about making fraudulent claims and getting money.
The Staged Rear End Collision is just one example.
Drivers will merge in your lane of traffic immediately in front of you and then apply their brakes. He hopes that your car will strike his car in the back.
It doesn’t matter whether he has Collision Insurance coverage on his vehicle, as if you rear-end his car you are at fault. If you rear-end another vehicle, a Georgia traffic ticket for failure to yield is almost certain. Your insurance company will have trouble proving fault if you are ticketed.
The Car Repairs Scam
Your insurance company will pay the other driver money for repairs to his vehicle. He might take his car to the auto body shop of his choosing. Sometimes the body shop becomes a partner in the fraud, providing a large estimate for repairs that may never be completed. Settlement usually occurs quickly and this part of the scam is very fast.
The Bodily Injury Scam
Usually, the driver will pretend to be injured. It is possible that the driver will pretend to be injured if there are others in the vehicle. Scammers love rear-end collisions because whiplash injuries, which are very soft-tissue injuries that are difficult to prove, are ideal. They might prolong an injury claim for several months.
Sometimes the driver/claimant’s chiropractor, doctor or attorney could be involved in the scheme. The attorney will demand a settlement, often far more than the medical bills. The attorney might demand $50,000 if the claimant has $10,000 in medical bills.
Bodily injury scams also include income loss. They may try to make you temporarily or permanently disabled. They may even attempt total disability. All passengers involved in the scam will file the same claim for damages.
You can see how quickly a claim can change from a minor fender-bender into a large claim with a demand for hundreds of thousands of dollar.
This type of scam can be avoided. These are some tips to help you avoid falling for this scam:
At all times, keep plenty of distance between yourself and the car in front of you.
Keep your eyes open while driving and don’t let yourself get distracted in your car.
Avoid using your cell phone while driving. When they use their cell phones, people develop “attention blindness”.
Always keep a disposable camera in your glovebox. You can take lots of photos of both the cars and damage if you are involved in a rear-end accident. Photograph the driver as well as all passengers.
Only you can protect yourself against being victim to a Car Insurance Claim Scam.
You need to be able to win your insurance claim if you have suffered a loss in car insurance. The insurance company won’t tell you how to file a claim, but I will. I will help you take control of your insurance claim and increase your settlement by hundreds, if not thousands. You can find more information at the following website.
Two special reports are available at no charge. The first is “5 Things to Do When Shopping for Car Insurance” and the second is “5 Avoidable Things When Shopping For Car Insurance.” Each of these are worth $9.95, but you can get them all for free by signing up for my newsletter below.