Road Traffic Accident Scams
The increasing number of traffic accident scams in the UK is becoming a cause for concern for many road users.
In fact, it is costing the insurance industry around £200 million a year and causing an unnecessary increase in car insurance premiums.
More importantly, it is putting the lives of innocent motorists at risk! Organised traffic scams often involve criminals deliberately staging road traffic accidents so that innocent motorists have no chance of avoiding a collision.
There are numerous gangs out there who operate to set up traffic accidents and then make personal injury claims to benefit from large cash payouts.
These gangs will stage accidents with vulnerable motorists by deliberating creating a situation that will encourage a road traffic accident.
A classic example of a commonly used road traffic accident scam is when you are attempting to merge into a flow of traffic, and the driver behind gives you a hand signal to enter his lane.
As soon as you have entered the lane in front of him, he accelerates and bumps into the back of your car.
Even though the driver gave you permission to enter his lane, the fraudster will deny this to the police at the scene of the accident.
This will obviously suggest that you were driving with undue care and attention and failed to check your mirrors before entering his lane.
The driver will then be able to make a claim against you for any damage to his vehicle and a personal injury claim for him and any other passengers in his vehicle.
This is just one of many common accident scams that exist, and it important to be aware of these to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
According to an online BBC article, "out of 2,418 drivers questioned by YouGov on behalf of insurers' Royal and Sun Alliance, 41% had never heard of the crime and a further 40% would not know if they had been in a staged accident".
Whilst it is virtually impossible to completely protect yourself against these accident scams, there are certainly precautions which can be taken to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
One way is to avoid tailgating and to drive responsibly in accordance with speed limits.
You should always maintain a safe distance with the car in front and be wary of vehicles which pull out at T-junctions and proceed with caution.
However, if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of an accident scam, it is essential to obtain as many details as possible and get photographs of the scene of the accident.
It may be difficult to find an independent witness but it is vital you inform your insurance company and the police of any suspicions.
In fact, it is costing the insurance industry around £200 million a year and causing an unnecessary increase in car insurance premiums.
More importantly, it is putting the lives of innocent motorists at risk! Organised traffic scams often involve criminals deliberately staging road traffic accidents so that innocent motorists have no chance of avoiding a collision.
There are numerous gangs out there who operate to set up traffic accidents and then make personal injury claims to benefit from large cash payouts.
These gangs will stage accidents with vulnerable motorists by deliberating creating a situation that will encourage a road traffic accident.
A classic example of a commonly used road traffic accident scam is when you are attempting to merge into a flow of traffic, and the driver behind gives you a hand signal to enter his lane.
As soon as you have entered the lane in front of him, he accelerates and bumps into the back of your car.
Even though the driver gave you permission to enter his lane, the fraudster will deny this to the police at the scene of the accident.
This will obviously suggest that you were driving with undue care and attention and failed to check your mirrors before entering his lane.
The driver will then be able to make a claim against you for any damage to his vehicle and a personal injury claim for him and any other passengers in his vehicle.
This is just one of many common accident scams that exist, and it important to be aware of these to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
According to an online BBC article, "out of 2,418 drivers questioned by YouGov on behalf of insurers' Royal and Sun Alliance, 41% had never heard of the crime and a further 40% would not know if they had been in a staged accident".
Whilst it is virtually impossible to completely protect yourself against these accident scams, there are certainly precautions which can be taken to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.
One way is to avoid tailgating and to drive responsibly in accordance with speed limits.
You should always maintain a safe distance with the car in front and be wary of vehicles which pull out at T-junctions and proceed with caution.
However, if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of an accident scam, it is essential to obtain as many details as possible and get photographs of the scene of the accident.
It may be difficult to find an independent witness but it is vital you inform your insurance company and the police of any suspicions.
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