Victim of insurance scam in the USA Moderators: please move this thread if its not in the right section
Though I got my membership approved 2 weeks back, I wasnt able to write any posts so far, thanks to the following story. Hope this incident will help our friends in USA.
I met with a very minor accident in 2010 Dec. I hit ( "touched" is a more appropriate word) someone from behind, probably at 3 to 5 mph speed. Nobody was injured, my car front number plates were slightly bent, other cars rear bumper had 2 minor scratches. The other person was very rude, didnt even roll down his window or share his contact details or insurance details. Police came and as expected I was at fault as I hit him from behind.
Next day I reported the accident to my Insurance Company, and uploaded few photos of my car. A week later, the insurance company emailed me that they paid $300 for the painting (read touch up) of his car. Every 2-3 months I used to contact the insurance company to check the status of the claim and they said the other party is not reachable and per the state law, they have to keep the claim for 2 years open if the other is not available.
Fast forward to July 2011. I get a civil summons from the Superior court that the other person is suing me stating my careless driving has caused him irreversible damages (internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, back/neck pain, not able to work for long etc etc) and demanding a huge amount of money. I contacted My Insurance Company, they said this person has contacted them a month back, and they declined his request as the injuries stated cannot be caused by the accident. They will represent me in court. My insurance coverages are good, so I don’t expect any payment from my side other than my lawyer fee ( I am planning to have an attorney from my side as well)
Talked to few colleagues/friends and realized that this is a common scam in US if it’s a hit from back. My insurance limits are high, so they are trying to get maximum out of it. The other probable cause that they saw me as an asian and are using scare tactics to get a good amount of money.
There are many loose ends to his story, but the tactic is to force a out of court settlement. Otherwise they will drag it in court (3-5 years) causing high attorney fees for the other side on top of the time and effort.
If any of you have gone through similar experiences, please let me know how it was handled. |