One common type of insurance fraud that an attorney may see is a staged traffic accident. Individuals use this tactic to target unknowing drivers. They will deliberately target high-end vehicles, or vehicles that look newer, and attempt to stage an accident in which the other driver is found at fault. This is an easy way for the individual to get a payout from the innocent driver’s insurance company.
4 Types of Staged Accidents to Avoid
1. Drive Down Accidents
This is a technique that involves inviting an unsuspecting driver to merge into traffic. Either in entering a highway, or turning into traffic from a parking lot, the driver may be waved to proceed with the merge. The person that waved the innocent driver to proceed will then accelerate, causing the accident, but will later report that they never waved to the other driver to merge. It is difficult to prove the innocent driver was given the right to proceed.
2. Panic Stop
This typically requires a passenger to assist the driver in targeting another driver in the same lane. The passenger will watch the driver of the vehicle directly behind them to become distracted. Once it appears as though the other driver is distracted, the passenger will alert their driver to slam on the brakes. The rear vehicle will hit the individual’s vehicle, causing the traffic accident. In cases where the rear vehicle hits the preceding vehicle, the driver of the rear vehicle is almost always found to be at fault.
3. Side Swipe
This type of accident occurs in larger intersections with two left-turn lanes. The individual takes the outer left-turn lane and, as the cars in the lane proceed to make the turn, they side swipe the vehicle making the left turn in the inner lane. It’s difficult to prove which vehicle crossed the lane during the turn, so establishing fault may require the help of an attorney.
4. Swoop & Squat
This maneuver is difficult to spot in advance because it involves the use of two vehicles in addition to the innocent driver. The “swoop” driver squeezes into traffic in front of the “squat” driver, giving them cause to slam on the brakes. As a result, the innocent driver directly behind the “squat” vehicle rear-ends the vehicle, causing the accident.
If you think you were the victim of a staged accident in La Crosse, WI, reach out to an attorney. Fitzpatrick, Skemp & Associates, LLC specializes in personal injury and worker’s compensation cases. If you have been involved in an auto accident and need an attorney, they will help you obtain a favorable outcome in your case. To learn more about their experience in handling auto accident cases, visit their website. Or, you can call (877) 784-1230 to set up an initial consultation.