A fact that is known to everyone is how most people are good at telling lies. This is a sad fact, but it is one everyone needs to deal with. If you have been involved in a car accident, the other driver or any other person involved might decide to claim falsely that you are responsible for the accident.
To make the situation worse, the police officer that shows up at the scene of the accident might agree to the false car accident claim without suspicion, tagging you as the one responsible for the accident. Fortunately, if you have been a victim or want to prevent being a victim of lies other drivers tell, we have some good news for you. Our “false car accident claim against me” contains some useful information that you can use in setting yourself free from false car accident claims.
When police report to a car accident scene, the first thing he should do is carry out a full vehicle inspection and talk to the parties involved. Making a preliminary determination of fault is what an officer can do. Still, many parties have panicked because a police officer at a car accident scene has pointed the accusing finger at them while they were true victims of the car accident.
It will be interesting for you to know that whatever the police officer thinks is just his opinion because he isn’t a witness and didn’t witness the accident. The officer’s statement will not carry any weight because determining liability is something an insurance company does. Failure to agree on liability means the case will go to trial.
False Car Accident Claim Against Me
After an accident, your insurer is going to investigate if you have active insurance. The investigation is to determine who is liable for the wreck, and an insurance adjuster will handle your case, set an interview with you to know your own side of the story. Other parties involved in the accident will be interviewed too, and also anyone who witnessed the car accident.
It would be best if you were calm because your insurance company’s job is to fish out fraudulent car accident claims, so reviewing facts thoroughly and determining who is at fault shouldn’t be a hassle for any insurance company. It is also possible for your insurer to agree that you played a role in what led to the accident after conducting an investigation, and this means your insurer will take part in paying compensation for injuries and vehicle damages.
Even if the claim made against you is a fraudulent one, there is barely anything you can do, and this is the sole reason why you have active insurance. You have insurance to ensure protection when someone files a claim against you, and it is also possible for your insurance company to defend you, refusing that you have a part to play in what caused the accident. In a situation like this where two insurance companies defend their clients, the case ends up in a trial.
How To Fight A False Accident Report
When we mention the word report, we refer to a police officer’s written statement or account of a car accident. This report contains a police officer’s observations. Once a police officer gets called to a car accident scene, he will take account of everything he saw, heard, or observed and write a police report.
It will be great if you know that he is liable to make mistakes despite a police officer’s training. These mistakes can also happen when writing a police report because they are human beings too. You might be left wondering what next to do if a police report doesn’t carry accurate information, and listed below are reasons why the police report is very vital;
- It contains the names and contact information of people involved in the accident.
- It contains the location, time, and date an accident happened
- It contains contact information of names of eyewitnesses
- It tells you the location or spot damage that occurred on the vehicle
- A police report tells you lighting, road, and weather conditions
- It will also show a rough sketch or diagram explaining the accident
- Police contain picture images of the accident scene
- You will find statements of eye witness and every party involved in the car accident
- A police report tells you violations and citations of law
- Lastly, a police report shows you the opinion of the office that conducted the investigation
A lot of stock is put into a police report by insurance companies, which explains why a police report is crucial because police officers are seen as impartial and credible officers of the law. It will also take few days for a police report to be ready, and this report is based on notes that the officer took at the car accident scene.
Generally, amending a police report is possible, and it doesn’t matter whether the police officer is willing to make the changes or not. Changing a police report depends on what information needs to be changed, and when asking for a change in the police report, you should be polite. Treating a police officer with love and kindness gives you a better chance of convincing him to make some changes to his report, and you should also act quickly if you want to change a police report.
Police officers have many calls and cases to attend to, so contacting the police officer sooner than later leaves you in an advantaged position to get a police report changed. A police officer will not change his report because he got an email or call from a stranger. If you want to boost your chances of changing a police report, you should provide documentation or evidence to prove what you want or feels should be changed. Lastly, police officers are likely to make changes to factual errors, but disputed information is less likely to be changed.
How To Fight A False Insurance Claim
Insurance fraud is a crime, and it is an offense under the federal criminal code for a person to show deceit, be dishonest, claim falsehood, or defraud an insurance company. Law enforcement officers, regulators, and insurance companies are doing a great job when it comes to fighting a false insurance claim, but it will take more than their efforts for them to be successful. If you detect something wrong, remind other parties involved that insurance fraud is a serious criminal offense. Personally, you can play an important role when it comes to rejecting and combating false insurance claims.
Reading and understanding insurance policies will tell you specific details about your rights, insurance coverage, and responsibilities. You can put a call through to your insurance provider if you have any questions on something you do not understand.
It would help if you rejected anything that has to do with insurance fraud, and this includes ensuring that all information provided is accurate, refusal to sign blank insurance forms, taking car accident scene photos, exchanging contact information between drivers involved, and taking record of the gender and age involved in a car accident. Furthermore, you should also avoid agreeing to any terms whatsoever at the scene of the accident, and after demanding medical and repair bills, ensure every service and good you were billed for gets received. You should also review payment information provided by the insurance company to ensure adequate listing.
You can call your insurance company or the police to ask for the next line of action if you detect insurance fraud, or you could opt to submit an anonymous tip. There are penalties if a person is caught carrying out insurance fraud, and these penalties include;
- Having their claim denied
- Cancellation of their insurance policy
- Payment of higher premiums in the future
- Having your insurance denied in the future
- Getting convicted since insurance fraud is an offense punishable by law.
Like we stated earlier, so many people lie when making injury claims about an accident, and they engage in this to make money from insurance companies. When a person makes false car accident claims against you, your insurance company will pay for whatever the person claims if he gets away with it. Covering claims against you is what your insurance company should do for you, but in the long run, it could lead to canceling your policy or paying higher premiums. However, if you are making a claim, on the other hand, ensure you are playing by the rules to avoid exaggerating.
You could be in serious problems if you file a false accident claim, and not only will your claim get denied, you could also be held responsible for any money an insurance company paid out to you. Honesty is what you need to have when it comes to filing insurance claims, and this means providing correct information and answering questions honestly.
In this guide, we have given you tips on what to do when you face a false accident claim; being a victim of a false accident claim could be costly. It doesn’t just end with paying higher premiums. You and your family can pay with your lives if the odds are not in your favor. Learning more about insurance fraud protection is essential, and with the tips, we have provided, you will be able to take the right steps when faced with a similar situation.
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