Common Staged Car Accident Scams in West Houston
Are you aware of the most commonly staged car accidents scams? You might have seen news videos of innocent people involved in these incidents, finding themselves in the unfortunate situation of shelling out thousands for a perpetrator rather than a victim.
You might think you would never fall for a staged scam, and therefore, this doesn’t affect you. But while a scammer may not specifically target you, phony incidents raise insurance costs and endanger the lives of innocent drivers all the time.
Read on, and we’ll tell you how to avoid car wreck insurance scams.
How to Avoid Car Wreck Insurance Scams in West Houston
You can avoid staged accidents in several ways. The simplest method is to drive with extreme caution on congested routes.
You’re more likely to get involved in a rear-end collision if you don’t leave enough space between your car and the one in front of you, leading to a wide array of injuries and vehicular damage depending on the level of impact. Some drivers will fake injury and then demand money on the condition that you don’t call the police and insurer.
It’s also preferable to stop and wait for the next green light if you’re approaching a light that has just gone yellow. In some scams, the “witness” is the person who observes your light change color and communicates with the motorist to inform them that it was yellow when you passed through the junction. You will say it was yellow, but the false “witness” will claim the light was red.
After an accident, especially if something seems off to you, call the police. It’s usually a good idea to keep a report on hand so that you can refer to it later. The report will detail the damage to both cars and any injuries sustained on the scene. In addition to the police report, you should gather evidence by snapping photos with a timestamp of both vehicles to provide visual evidence.
Common Staged Scams to Lookout For
Scammers meticulously plan and execute these staged accidents. Even if their car is just slightly damaged, they will claim exaggerated or non-existent injuries to scam as much money from you as possible. Here are a few examples of staged accidents to keep an eye out for on the road.
Swoop and Stops
This swindle involves several con artists. One will drive in front of you, while the drivers on your sides will stay in the adjacent lanes. The front vehicle then abruptly brakes, preventing you from swerving out of the road and driving you into an accident.
Brake Slams
The con artist will drive ahead of you while the passenger keeps an eye on the driver behind them. The scammer will brake as soon as the rear driver’s eyes are taken off the road, leading the vehicle behind them to crash into the back of their car.
The Wave-In
A con artist will wave you into their lane, but as you begin to merge, the scammer will accelerate and collide with you, claiming that you didn’t shoulder check.
If You Were Injured in a Car Wreck Call West Houston Injury Attorney Joe Stephens Now
You shouldn’t have to deal with the fallout of a staged vehicle accident. Contact us if you suspect you were involved in a car wreck of any sort. We will thoroughly investigate your accident and the events that led up to it. Call us for a free consultation today!
If you’ve been injured by the negligence of another, you could hire any personal injury attorney in Katy, or you can hire a West Houston lawyer that focuses on auto wreck litigation. Joe Stephens has been defending injury victims in Texas for over 3 decades from negligent individuals, companies, and greedy insurance companies. As a local car crash lawyer in Katy, Joe handles all cases personally, and his staff is always available to answer questions.
The Stephens Law Firm, Car Accident Lawyers handles auto accident lawsuits across Texas, including these Houston cities.