Staged car accidents are on the rise - Don't let it happen to you
Most of these staged accident fraudsters are hoping and banking on the fact that 99% of law suits don’t ever go to trial and are settled out of court. They are looking for an easy pay day. They work in groups and have been known to target drivers of expensive and brand new vehicles as they most likely carry higher levels of insurance. They also tend to target older drivers thinking that they will have more money and will result in a larger settlement. If you are driving solo that will garner even more interest from these fraudsters as you have no witness – this is why it is important to always, always have a disposable camera or cell phone with a camera so you can actually take pictures of the cars, intersection, damage, etc… to help prove your side of the story).
Its impossible to completely rule out these staged accident fraudsters, but you can take several steps to minimize the chances of it happening to you. First as I already said buy a disposable camera for around $10 and keep one in every glove box for every car you and your family drive. Make sure everyone knows what it is for and replace them when they get old per the manufacturers instructions. You can also use a cell phone with a camera for this, but make sure it has a very clean and crisp picture and good resolution (if your pictures are blurry or unclear you could be eating an expensive accident that wasn’t even your fault).
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Another great way to prevent a staged car accident is to drive defensively and keep a safe distance between you car and others around you. Watch for people driving erratically or trying to crowd you. If you see someone driving aggressively or apparently following you and especially if the vehicle(s) in question are loaded with people then get out of their and get away from them. Take down the cars license plate number and call the police and report them. Even if the police don’t catch the perps, the car, license plate and owner will all be on file as potential perps and this will definitely make the police much more observant and questioning if the car does end up in an accident. You may not only save your self from these fraudsters, but you may also stop it from happening to others.
The rest is common sense. Stay away from thick traffic if possible (this is where a good bit of this staged fraud occurs in big cities with severe traffic congestion). These car accident and insurance fraudsters love to take advantage of situations in which their victim has reduced visibility. Be careful and don’t rely on other drivers like when you are waved on to pass or pull out – this is the number one form of this fraud so be alert for it. A friendly wave may actually be motioning you into a potentially expensive accident.
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