Distracted Driving Responsible For Expensive Insurance Policies
On January 2012, a recall report showed that the recent increase in insurance fees may have something to do with the also rising numbers of accidents related to text messaging while behind the wheel.
Since 2005, accidents have doubled while increased sharply in 2008. Texting while driving will not disappear, and is expected only to increase even more. Insurance companies are taking texting and driving seriously and are finally beginning to increase the values of insurance policies due to that issue. They encourage drivers to install apps that block text messages or to add devices that can block signals on cell phones to their vehicles to remain safe from the dangers of distracted driving.
Read the full article by clicking here.
Florida Tops Charts For Suspicious Insurance Claims
Staged car accidents are becoming more and more frequent across the country, especially in the wake of our country's recent financial crisis and economic downturn. Desperate people are turning to desperate measures that go so far as to stage a car accident resulting in fake injuries and exaggerated car damage.
Florida tops the chart with more than twice as many fraudulent insurance claims than the next two states on the list, New York and California, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In less than a year's time, over 260 people have been arrested on accounts of auto insurance fraud. Unfortunately, these bogus claims, often lead to skyrocketing insurance rates for the rest of us.
Crooks have crafted a few different ways to take advantage of you and your insurance company. As an attorney at the Law Offices of Kirk Bernard, it's heartbreaking to hear stories of people's lives destroyed by an accident that was caused intentionally. Government agencies need to ramp up their efforts to crack down on these criminals. Here are just a few examples to watch out for:
Stop What You’re Doing on FaceBook…
I've been a Seattle personal injury lawyer for 30 years and I've just about seen it all when it comes to dirty tricks the insurance companies use to find out info about you to use against your claim. Lately they have resorted to the use of social media to try and scrape up dirt about you and what you're up to.
That's why I've been educating my clients on the importance of being careful while leading a life online. You never know who is looking at your profile, reading what you're up to, looking at your pictures, etc. All of this is out in the open and free for public consumption.
The suggestions I make to my clients also pertains to the average person who hasn't been in an accident or doesn't need a personal injury attorney. There are many ways that dishonest people can use your public information to:
- try and steal your identity
- keep tabs on your coming and going
- try and bully you or your loved ones
- watch your kids and try to exploit them
- try and break into your house while you're gone
- etc.
I was reading online today and I stumbled across this article on yahoo that outlines 7 things you should stop doing on FaceBook right now! I suggest that everyone head over there and read the article, then go straight to your FaceBook profile and make the necessary changes that they suggest.
Was that really an “accident”?
It's nothing new for criminals to try and gain money with fraudulent insurance claims. As the economy continues to fluctuate, people begin to worry about money and how they're going to get it. Many times this opens the door to criminal thought and behavior.
Now criminals are using methods that could target you as a victim during a car accident. Many of these schemes involve an orchestrated whole team of people with multiple cars involved. The scenarios are very detailed and usually involve trying to take advantage of the insurance companies.
It's really a shame what criminals will try and do to scam the system and it only makes things more difficult for the real victims in accidents and injury claims. Here's a short list of a few ways you can protect yourself from falling victim to these car accident frauds: