Unfortunately, fraudulent accident claims are becoming an increasing occurrence – criminals are deliberately causing accidents in order to claim compensation for injuries occurred at the time, sometimes exaggerating those injuries or the amount of people on the scene pop over to this web-site. Fortunately, there are simple ways to prevent this from happening.
Be prepared
The simplest things to have with you in your car at all times are a pen, a notepad and a disposable camera. These are all relatively inexpensive items yet they could potentially provide vital evidence in the event of an accident (regardless of whether or not is a fraudulent claim).
The pad and pen can allow you to get down all the details. For example, note down how many people are in the vehicle at the time of the accident. This may sound obvious but some criminals have exaggerated the amount of people in a vehicle in order to receive larger compensation payouts and in the absence of witnesses or evidence this can be difficult to prove.
You should also note if anyone has any signs of injuries. While some injuries such as whiplash only occur a day or so afterwards this is still worth noting in case someone tries to exaggerate the injuries caused in the accident.
This is why photos are important too. You may wonder why you would use a disposable camera rather than a smart phone. A smart phone is fine and can take pictures as well. However, if your phone’s battery dies then you have a backup in your vehicle.
Furthermore, it is a good counter against any argument of a phone camera’s photos being doctored in editing software – the camera can be handed to the court and used as evidence as opposed to the pictures themselves.
Call the police
It doesn’t matter if the damage is minimal, you should call the police as soon as possible. This reduces the chances of anyone being able to claim the damage to their vehicle was larger than it was and means they are less likely to be able to claim more money.
Get legal advice
Be wary of anyone calling you after an accident claiming to offer legal advice. While they may not necessarily be involved in a scam it is still worth being cautious. It is better to talk directly to a legal representative who can go over the case with you and provide proper representation.
It is easy to forget that car accidents are shocking. People going through them can’t always think straight and unfortunately some criminals take advantage of that. This is why it helps to prepare before anything happens and to remain alert as much as possible while driving.
It should also be emphasised that most drivers involved in accidents are genuine and this is not about trying to make people paranoid while driving – however, if you do suspect something occurred that may have been fraudulent or you have any suspicions at all it is worth contacting a legal specialist to look more deeply into the case. If you have any concerns or questions regarding a recent accident contact us today.