Everyday Accident Scams

There are numerous everyday accident or crash scams that people have become more aware of over the years. With new technology, people have adopted new scams or adapted old ones to fit their needs better. Unfortunately, insurance companies aren’t working very hard to detect these scams in motion or stop them entirely so it is a good idea to contact an experienced Cincinnati car accident lawyer for help. Even police may have difficulty sorting out these issues at the scene.

Watch out for these crash scams that people use to drain you and your insurance policy for their own profit.

Swoop and Stop

This scam is pretty old, but there’s a new twist. Someone will come in, merge in front of you and then immediately slow down enough for you to hit them. There are a few key identifiers in this scam. First, there are usually a number of people in the car (the more people to claim injuries). Second, they merged into your lane in a hurry but did use their blinker. Finally, the people involved immediately claimed injuries and pain. Now, the modern twist here is that they have a dashcam or go pro in their rear-window.

Their hope is that the dashcam will serve as evidence to show that you hit them from behind. Fighting a crash that happened where you hit someone from behind is nearly impossible. However, it is possible to showcase that this person had every intent of causing an accident, and purposefully merged into your lane too close to your vehicle rather than safely between the two vehicles.

Left-Turn Lane Dangers

Have you ever seen someone during a left-hand turn weave slightly from the outer left-lane to the inner left-lane or vice versa? It’s common, especially when there aren’t clearly laid out lane lines through the intersection. This scam involves a left-hand turn, usually at a signal, and they will intentionally ram their car into yours.

It seems like you could easily claim that they hit you, right? Wrong. Instead, they will argue that you were out of your lane and hit them. Insurance companies being insurance companies want to close it out quickly and will usually divide fault, to avoid making big payouts. The issue is that you’ll never get full compensation in these cases unless you can show the scam. That requires a lot of investigative work, and possibly the use of an accident recreation expert.

Your Friendly Waver

You know when you’re merging into traffic, and someone gives you the “go-ahead,” it’s a wave of appreciation. But, the friendly waver, particularly in gridlock, could be a scam. So how can you tell when someone is scam-waving and not actually waving? They don’t actually slow down, or they slow down just enough.

During a merge, someone waving you forward should significantly drop their speed. Don’t trust that someone will slow after you look away. Instead, watch them for a moment. These crashes usually involve them revving at the last moment to sideswipe you avoiding your rear bumper technically. Of course, they don’t want to hit your bumper because that could put them at fault. Instead, they want to get you right around the tire-well, so it seems like you punched the gas to merge when you didn’t have the right-of-way. They’ll inform their insurance company that they never waived you forward, essentially making it your word against theirs.

“Discount” Help

Not every accident scam tries to get money out of you through claims. In fact, it’s likely that you’ll see a change in tune during this scam. The “Discount” Scam is typically planned out well ahead of time and involves one or more mechanics or body shops. The idea is that you are in a crash with another driver, they are apologetic, exchange information, and as a bonus, give you the name of their friend who works on cars and takes insurance.

Now, there are times when people genuinely know someone who can turn around work quickly, and they genuinely feel bad for the crash. But, in the discount situation, these mechanics see it as a victimless crime. What happens is they fix both cars, and

Fallen Prey to a Car Crash Scam?

Although insurance companies and court systems are much more aware of scams now than in previous decades, many times, people don’t walk away unscathed. In fact, it can be very difficult to argue or fight against these crashes and get the compensation that they need.

Contact Young, Reverman, and Mazzei to fight for your case. Our attorneys have the experience and skill necessary to guide you through your claim.