For the first time since lawmakers re-wrote Florida’s no-fault law in 2012, there has been a drop in questionable no-fault automobile claims. The National Crime Insurance Bureau report reviewed claims from 2010 to 2013 and found that the number of “questionable” claims fell by 7.66% from 2012 to 2013.
Before the no-fault law was rewritten, there were a number of claims for faked or exaggerated injuries, medical provider fraud, and billing for services not rendered. These fake and fraudulent claims made insurance rates soar and made it more difficult for legitimately injured auto accident victims to receive the help they needed.
One of the main reasons for this decrease was that the original law actually promoted fraudulent “staging” of accidents, while the new law doesn’t. The new 2012 law tackled PIP fraud by enacting tougher penalties, such as jail sentences and fees, for those who were found guilty of fraudulent acts like staging accidents. This directly led to a 53.93% reduction in the number of staged accident claims between 2012 and 2013.
Because Florida was such a hotbed for fraudulent activity in the past, injured auto accident victims often have an uphill battle to fight when filing claims or pursuing lawsuits. Insurance companies are often skeptical of accident injuries—especially those that occur in low-impact accidents. As such, there has never been a more important time to hire a Broward County car accident attorney.
Your Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer will need to investigate your accident closely to establish who is ultimately to blame for your accident. When insurance companies are involved, your attorney will also need to establish proof of your injuries and fight aggressively to ensure that you receive the compensation you truly need after a crash.
