Apparently during this staggering economy, three Floridians assume that they could stage a Florida motor vehicle accident in order to earn some quick cash. In January, Lee County law enforcement officers arrested a trio in a Florida insurance fraud incident. According to ABC news, deputies first responded to a reported accident between an Oldsmobile vehicle and a Nissan SUV at the intersection 5th Street West and Venice Avenue North in Lee County. Further, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s investigating report, the driver of the Oldsmobile informed deputies that he crashed into the Nissan because he failed to stop at the intersection. But, after a traffic reconstruction investigator found conflicting evidence and an eye witness statement, it was determined that the accident occurred at the intersection of 6th Street West and Venice Avenue North. Also, the driver of the Nissan admitted that the accident did in fact occurred at the intersection of 6th Street West and Venice Avenue North, but only after being confronted with the statement of the eye witness. And likely due to the behaviors and the statements of the drivers involved, Lee County law enforcement officers say that this was a case of insurance fraud. Staged accidents are happening more and more in Florida and it is causing Florida citizens to spend more money each year in premiums. Moreover, insurance fraud occurrences similar to this event are compelling the state’s lawmakers to crack down on fraud that leads to increased personal injury protection insurance.
On Monday, Senator Joe Negron, R-Stuart, filed Senate Bill 1860, which if it becomes law, hospitals will become priority standing in PIP claims, will close licensure loopholes for clinics and establish a fee schedule for reimbursements. Senator Negron’s proposal is a measure to address fraud issues that are leading to increasing insurance premiums in some metropolitan neighborhoods in South Florida. According to the Associated Press, Floridians pay an estimated $1 billion annually. Two House members filed similar bills in November.
In the state of Florida, if you are the owner of a registered motor vehicle with four wheels you are required by law to carry PIP insurance coverage. Under PIP insurance policies, also commonly known as no-fault insurance, regardless that is at fault in your automobile accident, you are protected up to the limits of your policy. PIP has a minimum of $10,000 for personal injuries and a minimum of $10,000 for property damage. In addition, our Fort Lauderdale motor vehicle accident attorneys want our clients to know that staging accidents is only one of several cases that are considered fraud. Other situations in which insurance fraud can occur involve filing false reports or boosting the amount of their actual expenses.
Therefore, do not attempt to file a false claim or inflate the cost of your actual damages. There are serious legal consequences you will encounter if you are caught, including the possibility of going to jail. Also important you should also retain any receipts or records of medical care appointments related to the injuries you suffered in a car accident. These types of documents can help you in proving the actual expenses you have incurred and can be used as evidence to show that you actually received medical treatment. Also, there are many medical clinics out there that have been associated with staging accidents in order to defraud the insurance system by getting people to do their dirty work. They will recruit individuals to stage car accidents in which no injuries occurred and have these people visit their office and file a PIP claim. If you have any questions regarding an insurance claim, you should consult with a FortLauderdale personal injury attorney who is available to help you with filing a claim, answer your questions about the claims process and can discuss with you about the best legal strategy in pursuing your lawsuit.
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Insurance fraud should be stopped. Many insurance company like Boat Insurance Fort Lauderdale is also affected of this crime.
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