Fraudulent injury claims are a somewhat common occurrence in car accidents that seem harmless at first. You may, if you choose, contest an injury claim and win, but you must be thoroughly prepared to do so.
The following are some tips to help you with this preparation:
- Make sure the police are notified of the crash as soon as possible. They might not necessarily respond to the site if it’s a very minor accident, so if they don’t, go to the station yourself to make the report.
- Take pictures of all the damage that occurred to each vehicle, even if it’s minor in nature.
- Make sure to get the information of any witnesses who saw what happened, including names, numbers and addresses. Get the same information from other drivers, along with information about insurance providers.
- Never admit to being even partially at fault for the accident. Be guarded with what you say and leave the assignment of blame to police.
- Watch for the driver complaining of injuries or discomfort, or attempting to assign blame even when he or she is clearly at fault.
- If the driver insists on calling an ambulance when there is minimal or nonexistent physical damage, you are likely to be dealing with a fraudulent claim.
Disputing these claims can help protect you from massive insurance premium hikes, cancellation of coverage and other potential legal action the claimant could try to take against you. Arm yourself with information and prepare for the worst in all cases.
To learn more about your legal options after a Florida auto accident, be sure to speak with an experienced Bradenton personal injury attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.