Have you even been the target of criminals in an auto accident scam? If so, you might still be feeling the effects.
Auto insurance companies have to pay out millions of dollars in fraudulent claims each year.
These fraudulent claims include everything from embellished injury claims to actual staged accidents, from intentional arson on someone's own vehicle to a false pedestrian claim.
Everyone who operates a motor vehicle needs insurance in order to make sure medical bills and cost of auto repairs are covered if a real accident occurs.
You must maintain at least a minimum coverage on your vehicle or you are not following the law in your state mandating minimum coverage.
Because of the fraudulent claims and staged accidents your insurance company is required to hand over money to criminals.
Because of the many fraudulent claims your insurance company in turn is forced to raise your auto insurance premium.
The high rates you are paying today may be due to fraudulent claims because insurance companies are backed into a corner when it comes to confirming whether the damages you report were caused by a fraudulent situation.
If the insurance fights a claim they likely will have to spend even more money on attorney fees and court costs.
When driving it is important for you to be aware of your surroundings so you don't become a victim of car insurance fraud.
You should always be on the lookout for drivers that follow you too closely or place their car directly in front of yours.
It is very important to try to maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and others and always keep your eyes on the road.
Scammers are just waiting for you to make the slightest mistake like turning your head slightly or looking down to change your radio station so that they can cause you to run into the rear of their vehicle.
If they can somehow cause you to rear end their vehicle then you will be held liable.
There may even be more than one car with criminals watching your every movement so they can team up on you.
You know that you are spending a lot of money on your auto insurance premiums, and dishonest criminals are taking advantage of this knowing that they can gouge you and the insurance company if they set up the right circumstances.
So you should always be prepared by carrying pen and paper in your car to right down exact circumstances of an accident.
Also important, if your cell phone doesn't have a camera, is to buy a cheap disposable camera and keep it in your vehicle.
Documenting evidence may help accident investigators determine if the accident was stages or real.