Orlando Personal Injury Attorney Warns Floridians About Auto Accident Fraud

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on March 24, 2011

Florida law enforcement agencies are working with government agencies and consumer advocate groups to raise awareness about a serious and growing problem in our state. Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham would like his readers to know that Florida drivers are paying up to $100 more each year for insurance coverage due to criminal groups that stage auto accidents to defraud insurance companies. That number is expected to increase in the coming months and years.

“Floridians are getting ripped off by the cost of auto insurance fraud and the evidence is piling up right along with the bills,” said one official. “We must act quickly to enact reforms to help stop these losses and keep Floridians’ hard-earned dollars in their pockets where they belong.”

At the root of the issue is a Florida law designed to help people and reduce small court claims. Under the law, Florida drivers must purchase at least $10,000 in personal injury protection, also known as PIP insurance. Under the current no-fault law, auto insurers are required to pay 80 percent of PIP claims no matter who is deemed to be at fault for the auto accident that led to the claim. The intent of the law was to ensure that drivers had coverage and to reduce the need for small claims litigation in Florida courts. Critics now claim that the PIP law has enabled criminals who stage fake auto accidents to collect money to essentially turn this type of coverage into a source of income for fraud.

In a typical staged-crash scam, a ring of criminals will stage an auto accident and direct fake passengers to dishonest healthcare providers who conduct unnecessary tests until the “injured” passengers’ $10,000 in coverage is spent. This forces insurers to pay for unneeded treatment and costs Floridians money through higher insurance premiums, higher healthcare costs and wasted manpower investigating fake accidents. Effectively, these criminals are stealing from drivers who obey the law and carry at least the minimum required amount of insurance coverage. It also makes it harder for people injured in auto accidents who have legitimate claims to collect on their coverage.

It also makes it more difficult for Orlando personal injury attorneys such as James O. Cunningham to help injured clients get the fair and just compensation they deserve. If you have been injured in an auto accident and your insurance company is denying a claim, you need aggressive, experienced legal representation to help you through this trying time. Call Orlando auto accident attorney James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. Put his experience and expertise to work helping you and your family.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.