Sometimes art imitates real life, and this can be the case when it comes to staged accidents. There are some people in the world looking to make a quick dollar by playing a victim - even if an accident never actually happened.
If you think that you have been the victim of a staged accident, here are the steps that you need to take to protect yourself. Trust me, this almost happened to me once, and I will never forget it. So, I am passing this information along to you.
First Things
- Hopefully, you have a pen and a pad of paper in your car. Or, at least, a cell phone with a notepad application. Write down the make, model, and license plate number of any car that you have collided with.
- If the staged accident didn’t include another car, find out the name of the person that is claiming to be hurt.
- Take photos. Cellphone cameras aren’t just for selfies! Use your camera to take pictures of everything from the scene of the crime to the people that are around you - and of the person that claims to have been injured.
- Get other eyewitnesses. Did other people see what happened? Write down their names and addresses. If you have a recording app on your phone, you may want to record a short video that includes what other people saw. Someone around you may have seen the person that claims to have been injured purposely walk in front of your car or back into your car.
- Note everything that you can - including how the other person acts immediately following the accident. It’s a good idea to write down the name of the police officers that show up at the scene of the accident as well.
Common Scams
Here are some common scams that happen regularly - the insurance industry sometimes makes payments to scam artists, and this could be bad news for you!
- A person comes out of nowhere and backs into your car.
- Someone in a parking lot claims to have been hit by your car (even though nobody was there when you backed up or pulled forward).
- A well thought out scam can also involve other people. Be wary of a doctor that just happens to walk by after an accident. Make sure to visit with your own doctor - and get the name of that doctor as well.
- Someone purposely crashes into the side of your car.
- A person falls in front of your car when you are driving across a parking lot.
These are just some of the scams that can cost you money and raise your insurance rates. There are many other scams out there too. If an accident doesn’t feel or look right to you, it probably isn’t!
This is one time when you really need a qualified attorney on your side. If you think that you have been the victim of a staged accident, call the Dellutri Law Group today. We will make sure that you get the compensation you deserve - and, more importantly, that the person trying to scam you does not get away with it!
