Florida Residents Learn about Staged Car Accidents
It is important for people in all of the 50 states to know what a staged automobile accident looks like. These accidents happen every day and many people are unaware of just how frequently they are occurring now. With there being so few new job opportunities for people many people have turned to crime as a means to survive. The state of Florida has long been a target for people who want to pull off auto insurance scams because of its insurance laws.
In the state of Florida, law enforcement officers showed some residents what a staged accident typically looks like. Criminals call them a panic top because what they do is the driver will pretend to panic and quickly put his or her foot on the brake. This will cause the vehicle to stop suddenly which in turn causes a rear end collision to happen when the driver that is in the vehicle behind him has to quickly slam on their brakes as well. After an accident, these drivers pretend that they have an injury such as a hurt neck or back. They then work with clinic or doctors that they know so that they can charge their auto insurance company for services that they never needed in the first place. The money is then divided between the people who were involved in the planning and the implementation of the accident.
The scheme is one that has been done for decades and now law enforcement officials are trying to go to the public and educate them on what these auto accidents look like so that they can try to end this chain of insurance abuse. Florida residents are literally paying the price for these auto insurance scams. Now people pay more than fifty dollars extra for their auto insurance premiums each year because of the fact that insurance providers have to pay out money to criminals who file fraudulent insurance claims.
For your own safety, you should never confront someone and accuse them of creating a staged car accident. This could end up leading to you getting injured or killed. People who typically stage car accidents are part of a bigger organization so it is important to just anonymously report an accident because other people might find out that you confronted the driver.
If you suspect that a staged accident has taken place then you need to take photographs of the accident scene and immediately contact the police for assistance. Ask to speak to a police officer alone and explain to the officer why you think that the automobile accident that you were in was a set up by a criminal. The officer will take your witness statement and will take some photographs.
Many people are recruited each year in Florida to participate in staged accidents. It is important for people who have had people approach them to participate to notify the authorities. Because of the bad economy, many Florida residents are desperate to make ends meet. It is never a good idea to participate in a staged accident. People who do so can land in jail and face huge fines.
Source:
Sun Sentinel
