Almost everyone in San Diego has a car, which means that car accidents are an unfortunate daily occurrence in our county. Unfortunately, some accidents don’t actually occur “on accident” and when that happens, auto insurance fraud has occurred. This crime is so common in our state, that the California Department of Insurance has a whole department organized around uncovering fraud. But a mere accusation does not mean someone is guilty. If you have been charged with this crime, a fraud defense lawyer can help.
Understanding Auto Insurance Fraud
There are many forms of car insurance fraud. Some people intentionally cause car accidents with expensive vehicles or commercial trucks. Others are involved in legitimate accidents and exaggerate the nature of their injuries. In other cases, people may claim more passengers were in their vehicle than were actually there when the crash occurred. Sometimes people report accidents that never even occurred.
This category of crime is so broad that even keeping the rental car from a legitimate accident longer than actually required can result in charges. Whatever the specifics of the case, car insurance fraud occurs whenever someone intentionally acts in a way to collect undeserved compensation from an automotive insurance company. Like all fraud charges, it takes a skilled defense lawyer to fight these types of serious charges.
Fighting These Charges
It’s important to recognize that because the state has a special department committed to uncovering these crimes, these charges will never be brought up without sufficient evidence . That being said, just because there is evidence against you does not mean you are guilty or that you should admit guilt. You should never answer any police or investigator questions without a lawyer at your side. It can be very easy to say something that may count against you later on in the investigation.
If you believe you may be under investigation for auto insurance fraud, please call (760) 643-4050 or (858) 486-3024 to schedule a free consultation with Peter M. Liss.
Creative Commons Image by Morgan
