How to Avoid Staged Car Accidents in Tampa Bay

You’ve probably noticed the billboards and bus benches throughout Tampa Bay asking you to report staged accidents. This article shares with you advice that this Tampa auto accident lawyer has gained from research and experience on how to avoid them. There’s no doubt staged accidents are on the rise throughout Tampa Bay. Perhaps it’s the local Tampa economy, but Tampa now has the state of Florida’s highest number of staged accidents. Nationally, Florida is No. 2 for staged accidents behind only the much larger state of New York.

In my own Tampa car accident law firm, for the first time ever, I have several staged accident cases. Fortunately, we have witnesses to the fraud so that my clients are able to get at least some justice against the perpetrator and compensation for their injuries. A survey of other Tampa auto accident attorneys would likely reveal the same thing - staged accidents are on the rise and a growing menace to society and a part of a Tampa law firm’s regular car accident law firm practice.

You can help to protect yourself and maybe even help put those responsible behind bars by considering these tips and strategies:

1/ Any car accident lawyer Tampa will tell you that tailgating is never a good idea. But now you should consider leaving even more distance than usual between you and the car in front since slamming on brakes is the favorite way that fraudsters like to create staged accidents. Ask yourself, given my speed, would I be able to stop if the lead car suddenly slammed on its brakes. If you’ll just stop tailgating, you’ll significantly reduce your risk of being involved in a Tampa car accident.

2/ A Tampa car accident attorney also knows that distracted drivers make perfect marks. Crooks are watching to see if you’re on your cell phone or worse, texting. They know that if you’re not paying attention to your surroundings, you’re much less likely to avoid a collision if they slam on the brakes while in front of you. There are a lot of good reasons to stop texting while driving and you should add to your list helping you avoid staged Tampa auto accidents.

3/ Another piece of good advice to avoid staged Tampa car accidents is to stay aware of the “swoop and squat.” This happens when a car swoops in front of you and then slams on its brakes. Normally, our very first reaction to being cut off is to curse, use various hand gestures, and maybe even speed up. But with so many staged accidents taking place, you should be aware that you might not have been cut off by a rude driver, but a turkey that plans to slam on their brakes and “squat” in front of you. So as Tampa auto accident law firms continue to see a rise in staged auto accidents, if you find that a car “swoops” in front of you, try making your first reaction to slow down immediately.

4/ If you believe you’ve been set up, use a camera to take pictures immediately after the Tampa car accident of the number of people in the perpetrator’s car. Often after a Tampa staged car accident, there will suddenly be multiple claims made against your insurance by “alleged” passengers that they were also injured. Your picture can help prove that the driver was alone. Also, take pictures of the other vehicle so they can’t later make the damage worse and try to claim that the Tampa car accident you were involved in was much more significant. Also, as soon as possible after a staged Tampa auto accident, look for any available witnesses.

5/ Finally, if you think you’ve fallen victim to a Tampa staged car accident, call the National Insurance Crime Bureau at 1-800-835-6422 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week). Be prepared to give them the license plate number, location of the Tampa auto accident, people involved, why you think this was a fraud, and as many other details as possible.

With vigilance, you can greatly reduce your risk of being in a staged auto accident Tampa. And by documenting and reporting the fraud, you can help put these criminals behind bars.