Tampa Police Find Staged Car Accidents on the Rise
In Tampa, Florida staged automobile accidents have caused automobile insurance rates to rise to very high prices. A 43-year-old woman stated she pays nearly $1,000 in insurance premiums which she is finding increasingly difficult to pay. The staged auto accidents are created in several ways, however, one way involves perpetrators coercing innocent drivers into these accidents. The scams work as the perpetrators involved in these accidents make false medical claims to their insurance.
In the city of Tampa, roughly 739 staged accidents occurred in 2010. In order to prevent this crime from going further, the National Insurance Crime Bureau is training rural and suburban police forces to determine whether an accident was staged or not. If a staged accident is discovered, the perpetrators are arrested on the spot.
Normal automobile accidents can often be very serious and very dangerous for those involved. When people begin staging automobile accidents, especially when they involve innocent drivers; they put themselves and their victims at risk of very serious injuries. Causing an automobile accident in order to defraud insurance companies is a crime that should never occur and it is important for authorities to crack down on these types of crimes in order to reduce the number that occur throughout the nation.
To protect yourself from being involved in a staged auto accident there is a number of things you should be aware of. First off, in a staged accident the other parties involved usually avoid getting medical attention until a day or two later. This is because it is easier for the perpetrators to make false medical claims if they avoid medical attention immediately after an accident occurs. If you are involved in an accident and the other driver simply drives away without offering any sort of help or without waiting for the authorities to arrive after the accident, odds are you were the victim of a staged automobile accident. It is extremely important that you report any suspected staged automobile accidents to avoid potential monetary damages against you or to your loved ones if they are involved in a potentially staged accident.
