No one wants to be involved in a traffic accident and no one welcomes the idea of being at fault. The repercussions could go on for years in the form of a lost no claims bonus and higher premiums. What’s even worse, if you didn’t have the right kind of insurance, you might not be able to afford to repair or replace your car, van, or whatever vehicle you have. Most decent people believe that no one else wants to be in an accident either but sadly there are people who are not so decent, who use this mindset to set you up and profit from you having insurance.
The Forced Rear-Ending
According to law, any accident from the rear is considered the rear driver’s fault. This legality is exploited by scammers for the sake of illegally profiting from an insurance claim.
The scammer carefully orchestrates a scenario where their vehicle is certain to be hit by the driver behind them. Scammers stop their cars suddenly in traffic or at intersections or without warning, change lanes to swoop directly into the path of their victim. They make it impossible for the rear driver to stop their car without hitting theirs. They choose their mark carefully from slow, solo or older drivers and often follow for a while to make sure they stick a predictable lower speed. Although the speed of the car coming at them from the rear is slow, scammers claim for exaggerated whiplash, chronic pain and loss of earnings as well as the damage to their car.
You are not likely to be aware you are being targeted for a scam and being set up for an accident so it’s better to get into the habit of driving aware and defensively. To increase your chances of not getting rear ended, maintain your distance and vigilance rather than trust to luck you’ll notice something fishy going on.
The Fake Injury Claim
The fake injury claim is very common. Many drivers over the years have pretended severe pains and make false claims for medical expenses and other related costs. The most often cited injury is whiplash, the severity of which it is difficult to prove or disprove even now with the latest technology. Some included doctors or physiotherapists who would provide false diagnoses for slice of the payout. Even a low payout for a mild whiplash could open the door for other false claims.
Fake injury claimants are not hard to spot but if you’ve just hit a car, you can be forgiven for not noticing how they conduct themselves and only begin acting and talking about being in pain when the emergency services show up. The chances are you are not going to know you’ve been scammed until your insurance company informs you your accident is now part of a criminal case.
The Staged Accident
The worst of all fake insurance claims is the staged accident. The scammers create a scenario where you appear to be at fault during a collision. Like rear ending, you are unlikely to know you are being set up. There is endless variety, from choosing the right moment to head into your parking space to out and out driving at your car.
If you drive regularly the easiest way to have proof of how an accident happened is to install a dashcam with front and rear view. If you can offer evidence that creates doubt about who is at fault, the entire claim will be investigated thoroughly as a potential serious crime. Moreover, there is nothing compared to having the right insurance, and that’s when you can insure your van on Moneyexpert.com. So, get the right car/van insurance and drive safely!
