Florida Leads Country in Staged Car Crashes

Not every auto accident in Florida is a random event. There are organized crime rings that use dishonest individuals to help stage automobile crashes solely for the purpose of filing claims against your insurance company or suing you for damages, contending the accident was your fault. Zimmerman & Frachtman wants you to be aware of the types of scams occurring on the roadways and how we can help you avoid insurance fraud.

There are four main types of staged auto accidents for insurance fraud purposes. One is called Swoop and Squat and involves a dishonest driver who suddenly maneuvers his car ahead of yours, then jams on his brakes so that a rear-end collision occurs. The car involved in the scam often has passengers who claim bogus injuries. Drive Down is another traffic scam involving a dishonest driver who pretends to allow your car to merge into traffic, only to hit your car, then angrily assert that he never indicated you could merge ahead of his vehicle.

A third type of staged auto accident is the Sideswipe, where the dishonest driver manages to crash into your vehicle when the two of you are turning left from a dual-turn left lane. The fourth type of staged auto accident involves Shady Helpers – complete strangers who approach you after you are involved in a crash, insisting they know what medical clinic, attorney or body shop can help you.

Informed drivers who suspect they are the victim of a staged auto crash should consult first with a government agency that handles insurance fraud claims.  If you are injured as a result of one of these staged car crashes, you can consult with a personal injury lawyer like the individuals that work with Zimmerman & Frachtman to help protect your interests. Honest drivers and passengers suffer injuries and even death, blemishes on their driving record which increases their insurance premiums, along with ongoing stress from possible lawsuits when they are victimized by staged crashes. Always call police to the scene of any auto accident and record as much of the incident as you possibly can with your phone and/or pen and paper.  Florida is commonly known for not having the best drivers in the country, but things are more severe when you are dealing with other parties that are intentionally driving well below their abilities.  Don’t feel stranded when you are an injured victim of a staged car crash with other drivers claiming you severely injured them and want to sue – speak with an attorney during a free case review and see if having legal representation will assist in your situation.