It is no secret that making money these days is often difficult. The economy has hit many people hard, and making ends meet is more of a challenge now than in recent history. Unfortunately, some choose unethical and illegal methods of making some extra money, and this may include insurance fraud. If you are an insurance provider in Texas, you may deal with fraudulent claims more often than you realize.
You probably deal with countless claims following car accidents or other mishaps. If you have worked in insurance for a while, you may no longer be shocked when claims are based on fraudulent information or exaggerated details. Insurance fraud may involve subtle misstatements of fact, or it may be part of an elaborate scheme. It is also possible that the entire accident was a setup, and your client was an unwitting participant in an insurance scam.
Not always what it seems
Your insurance company or a skilled attorney likely has special investigators trained to recognize the signs of insurance fraud. However, fraudsters can be quite skilled and may have several other drivers working with them. It may be a challenge to determine exactly who was at fault or whom to believe. Nevertheless, you may see some of the same scenarios occurring and large claims for injuries that seem suspicious. Some common insurance scams include the following:
- A fraudster waves for your client to take the right-of-way then crashes into your client or blocks your client’s path so another fraudster’s vehicle can collide with them.
- A fraudster approaches your client after an accident posing as an insurance representative to obtain your client’s information and file false claims.
- Two drivers work in tandem to force your client into rear-ending one of the fraudsters and then file a claim for unreasonably serious injuries and damage.
- After your client has an accident, even a fender bender, the driver or passenger in the other vehicle files a claim for whiplash or other injuries.
- After an accident, whether genuine or staged, the other driver files insurance claims for injuries to people who were not in the vehicle during the accident.
A savvy driver may be able to avoid some of these scams, and many drivers are attaching dash cams to their vehicles for more protection. Nevertheless, you may still find yourself dealing with fraudulent claims for fake injuries or pre-existing damage. Since fraudulent claims result in higher premiums for insurance clients, you may even be willing to take matters to court to resolve them favorably.