How to avoid staged accidents

One of the leading types of auto insurance fraud is staged accidents. Staged accidents can happen in a number of manners, according to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, including:

• Swoop and Squat. A suspect vehicle suddenly swoops in front of you and jams on the brakes, causing a rear-end collision. Often the suspect car has passengers who pretend to have painful back or neck injuries, even though the collision was at low speed. The driver and passengers then make large collision and injury claims against your auto policy, for example.
• Drive Down. You’re trying to merge into traffic, and a dishonest driver slows down and waves you forward. He then crashes into your car, but denies waving you into traffic and blames the accident on you. Crooked drivers may also wave you out of a parking space with the same come-on.
• Sideswipe. Be careful if you’re driving in the inner lane of a dual left-turn lane at a busy intersection. Crooks will deliberately ram you if you drift into the outer lane while turning.
• Shady Helpers. A stranger may approach you at the crash site, or telephone you soon afterward. Maybe you just had an honest accident, or it was all a setup. Regardless, this stranger tries to convince you to get repairs at a specific auto-body shop, seek treatment from a certain doctor or chiropractor, or visit a lawyer he knows who can help you sue for injuries. Be careful — it may be a setup: That body shop may try to illegally pad your repair bill. The doctor or chiropractor may give you shoddy or no treatment, but bill the auto insurer thousands of dollars. The lawyer may encourage you to sue the auto insurer for thousands of dollars even if you have only minor or no injuries.

Ken Lindhardsen, Vice President of Claims Operations in Ontario, the Atlantic and Western Regions with Desjardins General Insurance (DGI), said public awareness is key to avoiding these dangerous accidents.

“DGI is serious about preventing this type of insurance fraud not only because of the financial toll, but also to protect our clients and the general public from unnecessary injury,” said Lindhardsen. “Drivers can avoid them by being aware of the danger and by being prepared.”

DGI offers these five valuable tips to help consumers avoid staged accidents:

1. Leave significant space between you and the vehicles ahead in case they brake suddenly.
2. Be wary if someone waves you in to merge or change lanes as they may be setting you up for a collision.
3. Exercise extra caution when making a left-hand turn because the oncoming car, which may seem far away, could accelerate and hit you.
4. Stay well into your own lane when making double-lane left-hand turns to avoid being deliberately sideswiped by the vehicle next to you.
5. If you are in an accident, be wary if you are pressured or offered money by anyone to use a particular auto body shop, paralegal or medical professional. Ask your insurer for a list of recommended auto body shops.

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