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Staged Collisions

A staged or alleged vehicle collision supports false auto insurance claims. Staged collisions put innocent drivers at risk and contribute to higher insurance premiums.

Types of Staged and Caused Collisions

A staged collision is no accident – it supports false auto insurance claims. A collision scenario can be mimicked regardless of the number of vehicles or occupants reported, the events reported, or the resulting damages and injuries.

Examples include:

A collision in which all vehicle occupants are aware of the scheme – if occupants were not in the vehicle at the time of impact, they are known as jump-ins
The vehicles reportedly involved never actually collided with each other – this is known as paper fraud
Drivers and/or passengers of other involved vehicles are innocent and unaware – this is known as a caused collision.

Organized criminal groups will always attempt to disguise staged or caused collisions and paper fraud. Fraudulent collisions may result in real but unintended serious injuries to participants, bystanders and emergency response staff. These schemes pose a serious safety risk and create costs that are paid for by the general public.

How Staged Collisions Cost Everyone

After staging a collision, a criminal ring will seek to maximize profits from their scheme by creating multiple insurance claims, for instance:

A tow truck operator may bill insurers for towing vehicles from the scene to reporting centres and/or body shops. False fees for fake or unnecessary services may include charges for wait times, scene cleanup, use of dollies, etc.
Drivers and passengers involved in a “fraud party” may submit false claims for: a. Vehicle damage b. Injury assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and/or assistive devices c. Loss of income and other services

By requiring police, ambulance and fire personnel to attend a staged collision scene, limited resources – which could have responded to legitimate emergencies – are wasted. When drivers and passengers visit hospital emergency rooms or other public care facilities to legitimize false injury claims, care is delayed for other patients.