No person desires to get involved into a car accident because it means not only the obvious possibility of injury or death, but even the simple inconveniences of having to pull over, exchange information, call a police officer for a report of the accident, wait for a tow truck, etc. While there are a number of devastating accidents that occur every day, a large number of accidents are simple bumps in our schedule rather than being a life-threatening incident. One factor that many people may not be aware of as drivers is that not all accidents are actual "accidents" but rather they are scams by people who are looking to commit insurance fraud and make you and your insurance company pay for their hunger for money. There are a few types of scams that drivers ought to be aware so that they do not become the next victim of a scam artist. While there can be a number of possibilities, here are five common scams that have been described by Nationwide Insurance.
The "Swoop and Squat" Method. This method involves at least two vehicles, and essentially they will drive recklessly in order to catch you off guard and have you "cause" the accident. The first driver will quickly pass the second driver cutting him off and then the second driver will pull to the side of the victim driver so that they can't get over to avoid an accident and then the first driver will slam on their brakes causing the victim to then rear end them. While listed out it makes sense that foolish drivers are trying to cause an accident, in the moment it can quickly catch a driver off guard, so always be aware!
The "Wave Down" Method. Yet another scam that will completely catch the victim driver off guard and pin them into a corner, making it look like the accident was entirely their fault. Here there will be two drivers that seek to catch you in an accident. The first driver will give the heads up and wave to the victim driver that it is safe to proceed out of the parking, lot. In the meantime, the second driver is hiding behind traffic and will collide with the victim as soon as they pull out thinking they were in the clear. Despite the wave to move, the accident will technically still be the fault of the victim because they were not the one to make sure that the way was clear before proceeding.
The "Drive Down" Method. Another common scheme that is used for car accidents is when a vehicle turns left into oncoming traffic and then hits another vehicle who was waiting. In most cases when the police examine the case, the victim is usually the one pointed at for fault in not yielding prior to making a left turn.
The "Enhanced Damages" Method. Here you will actually be responsible for the accident that took place, whether it was an illegal turn or a rear ending, it was legitimately. However, where the scam artists will take advantage of you is that they will seek to do whatever they can to inflate the damages of the claim. For example, they may have had a minor scratch on the side of their car and yet they will try to make it appear as a large dent. Or they will seek to prove that they're severely injured or distressed as a result of a minor accident.
The "Jump In" Method. This is when the scam drivers make it so that the victim of the accident is actually the one who is legally at fault. Here there is usually one person in the car at the time of the accident, and yet when the claims for injury are made, more people will somehow be added into the vehicle and all will claim injury from the accident.
In order to not become a victim of this type of fraud, be certain that you always take detailed pictures of the accident which occurred. You want to take pictures of the people if at all possible, the damages, the license plate, and the location. Essentially, be prepared with any details in detail that they may try to hold against you down the road. Don't let you or your loved ones be a victim of insurance and car accident fraud! If you are injured in an accident, please contact a trusted car accident attorney in your area today!