Consumers need to be aware that con artists are staging automobile accidents, which are being created in order to defraud auto insurance companies.
Staged accident claims increased 46 percent from 2007 through 2009, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
The top five states that generated the most staged accident claims are Florida, New York, California, Texas, and Illinois.
“As consumers take the road for holiday travel, it is important to practice defensive driving and to educate themselves about staged accidents,” said Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. “Drivers may already be distracted with inclement weather, busy streets, and holiday stress but it is equally important to be aware of other drivers who purposefully plan a collision. Staged automobile accidents are one of the fastest-growing types of fraud in the insurance industry.”
In a staged automobile accident, waiting drivers position themselves so they can create auto accidents with unsuspecting drivers. Because staged accidents are difficult to prove, criminals often include passengers in their automobiles who also claim to have had injuries.
Types of staged automobile accidents include:
Swoop and squat – A driver causes an intentional and unavoidable rear-end collision by abruptly entering the lane in front of the victim, or cutting the victim off, pulling in front of the victim, and forcing the victim to break suddenly.
Drive down – While an unsuspecting victim attempts to merge onto a freeway, a driver in the adjacent lane directs him or her forward with a hand motion, then deliberately crashes into his or car and blames the victim for the collision.
Sideswipe – The victim is in a dual-turn left lane and unintentionally veers the car into the adjacent lane for a few seconds. The driver in the adjacent lane then sideswipes the victim, and accuses the victim of driving recklessly.
T-bone – The victim begins to drive through an intersection, when a suspecting driver intentionally slams into their automobile. The driver then accuses the victim of running the stop sign. This is also called a right-angle or broadside collision.
The Wave – While driving in heavy traffic, a victim will attempt to merge into an adjacent lane. The driver in the adjacent lane waves at the victim indicating that he or she will make room for the victim to switch lanes directly in front. Just as the victim begins to switch lanes, the driver accelerates and crashes into the rear of the victim’s car making it appear to be the victims fault.
Drivers are encouraged to be wary of how many occupants are in and around the vehicle at the time of the accident and after it, Masto said. Drivers should also be aware of their surroundings and be on the lookout for additional people who show up at the scene and claim to have been involved in the accident.
If you think you’ve been the victim of staged accident, immediately report it to your insurance company, she said.
See the bureau’s video above for a demonstration the five types of staged accidents.
