Auto accidents are often staged by scammers for filing fraudulent claims against a driver’s liability insurance. Accidents are anyhow extremely confusing and stressful. Scammers are adept at making the victim look careless so that the entire blame falls on them and their compensation gets reduced courtesy of the percentage of fault. Having proper knowledge about staged auto accidents can be of greater help in protecting your potential claim and holding the scammers accountable.
Following are the common types of staged auto accidents created by scammers for filing fraudulent claims:
- First comes Swoop and Squat where one vehicle pulls ahead of the victim’s car and doesn’t offer enough time to the unsuspecting driver to hit the break for avoiding the crash. There are instances where accomplice vehicles pull to the sides of the victim’s vehicle to prevent them from swerving out. Such scams are common on freeways involving four vehicles.
- Left Turn Drive Down occurs when the victim tries taking a left turn and the driver traveling in the opposite direction gives you a green signal to make a clean cut. But the driver pulls up suddenly blocking your path and you have to forcefully hit the brakes. Amidst all this confusion, another approaching car might hit the side of your vehicle. You might look at fault once the car blocking your way drives off.
- Under Curb Drive Down, drivers who had been parked by a curb try merging into traffic. The victim starts pulling out on seeing traffic ahead but an approaching car hits your vehicle and insists it to be your fault as you had pulled out while the traffic was not clear.
- Last but not least comes a T-bone crash where one driver runs a red light for purposefully T-boning a car traveling through the intersection. You might have the right of way but a witness might claim otherwise.
It is common for there to be certain witnesses to the car crash. However, if all the witnesses come forward backing up the wrongful story of the other driver, then chances are high that you have been scammed. If the vehicle has numerous passengers who seemed to be fine initially but started complaining of injuries following the arrival of the police, then there are high chances that the accident has been staged.
Conclusion
If you ever find yourself in a staged accident, then you should try and avoid going into a confrontation with other passengers, drivers, or witnesses. Rather, you should wait until the police arrive to share your suspicions about a staged accident. It also pays to take timely pictures of the injuries, damages, and other things that might be helpful. Contacting Hillsville Auto Accident Lawyer can help in proving your innocence in a staged accident. Your chance of getting higher claims from insurance agencies increases when you have the backing of a lawyer. Drivers can safeguard themselves from falling prey to such scams by avoiding tailgating other vehicles, being cautious when peer drivers ask to make a left turn, and watching out for larger vehicles.