Many arrested during insurance fraud crackdown

A number of independent investigations conducted by Louisiana authorities have resulted in the recent arrest of 34 individuals accused of committing insurance fraud. The arrests were made with the cooperation of the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud/Auto Theft Unit, the state’s Department of Insurance and the Attorney General’s office. Many of the cases that were under investigation centered on a type of insurance fraud known as “jump-in” auto crashes.

A “jump-in” automobile crash is a scenario in which an accident is intentionally created, and where the individuals included in the resulting insurance claim were not actually present in the vehicle at the time of the collision. A related insurance scam involves car accidents that are staged, and where all actors were aware that the purpose of the collision is to collect insurance payouts. According to authorities, these types of insurance fraud are responsible for billions of dollars lost annually in fraudulent claims.

The investigation and subsequent arrests cover a number of accidents within the state of Louisiana. In some cases, the individuals who were involved in an accident are accused of lying about not knowing the other party at the time of the collision. In one case, a woman asserted that she did not know the driver of a vehicle that was involved in an accident, but the criminal charges against her claim that she and the other party were relatives, and that the two had been involved in at least three previous insurance claims.

In other cases, the individuals arrested for insurance fraud are alleged to have included parties within their claims who were not present at the scene of the accident. Many of these cases center on claims that a minor child was in the vehicle, though authorities believe that not to be the case. Injury reports concerning the children were part of some of the insurance claims.

As these individuals move forward in the legal process, each will have the opportunity to present their side of the matter in a court of law. In some cases, Louisiana incidents that are characterized as insurance fraud are ultimately found to be legitimate insurance claims. For those who would like to clear their names in court, being able to provide evidence that supports their insurance claim can go a long way toward achieving a favorable outcome.

Source: katc.com, “Dozens accused of insurance fraud, auto theft“, May 6, 2015