How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Auto Insurance Fraud

Insurance fraud is a serious crime that can send you to prison for a very long time. Not only does it affect the insurance companies, but consumers can be punished by a raise in their rates. One of the most common forms of insurance fraud is auto insurance fraud. And you can become a victim without even knowing.

What is auto insurance fraud? It’s an attempt to trick the auto insurance company in order for financial gain. This doesn’t have to be the policyholder — other people such as another driver, a mechanic or a medical professional can attempt to defraud your insurance company. There are two types of fraud: Hard insurance fraud, which is when someone intentionally caused an incident to file an insurance claim; and soft insurance fraud, which is a legitimate claim that has falsified information on it for a financial gain.

If you become a victim of auto insurance fraud, you can see an increase in your premium costs, longer waits for any future claims to processed, and even have a negative impact on your driving record. But there are ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim of auto insurance fraud:

• Don’t tailgate. Someone looking to defraud you will be looking for someone who is driving just too closely to the his/her car, making it easy to stage an auto accident.
• Always follow the right steps after getting into an accident.
• Be careful with anyone who immediately appear after the accident and ready to help with the name of a good mechanic or attorney.
• Never, ever sign a blank claims form.
• Never accept help from a tow truck that you did not request or call. And don’t accept help before seeing an invoice.
• Thoroughly research any repair shops and make sure you get an estimate before work is done on your car.
• And remember to only agree to any medical services that you may need.

If you are in need of an attorney after a car accident, we’re here to help! Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.