| Staged accidents are one of the most lucrative, low risk, and least enforced crimes around. It is a crime problem amounting to a $200 million loss a year in California alone. Some estimates indicate that up to 40 percent of insurance policy premiums go to combating, processing, and paying phony claims.
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| Staged accidents often involve multi-jurisdictional rings composed of doctors, attorneys, and transient street people. The investigations themselves are difficult and can cause many problems for the investigating officer. In addition, the crime is hard to detect and victims often don't know they are a victim.
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| If you are involved in an accident, a combination of several characteristics may indicate that it was staged. Ask yourself: |
- Did the vehicle in front slam on its brakes for no apparent reason? Remember to
ALWAYS keep a safe distance from the car in front of you.
- Was there a "phantom" vehicle, animal, or child that nobody else saw?
- Did you collide with an older "gas guzzler" that had prior damage?
- Do the occupants in the suspect car downplay their injuries? Try to recall whether they were wearing their seatbelts.
- Are they anxious for the police not to show up? Call the police and your insurance company and express your suspicion in the report.
- Does the driver have good I.D. or is it a temporary license with no picture? Always compare the photo with the driver and copy down all information.
- Is the car properly registered and does the driver possess proof of insurance?
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If you're involved in an
accident, always obtain the names,
addresses, and phone numbers of
witnesses and all occupants of other
vehicles in the collision. If you
are in doubt, call Santa Monica
Police at (310) 458-8491. |
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For more information, call the
Community Relations Unit of the
Santa Monica Police Department at
(310) 458-8474. |
This page was last modified on
01/26/2008
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