KNOWLEDGE MATTERS
What to Do If You Suspect a Staged Accident By Jim Angel, Vice President of Video Telematics, EROAD
“In-cab video for commercial vehicles is the single best tool to protect a commercial operator and a commercial driver from insurance fraud on the highways.” Research shows that commercial drivers are at fault for serious truck-car accidents far less often than passenger car drivers. Still, large accident-related verdicts against motor carriers – many exceeding $1 million – have become increasingly frequent in recent years, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) 2020 report, Understanding the Impact of Nuclear Verdicts in the Trucking Industry. The trend toward larger verdicts against carriers has attracted the attention of criminal groups that target commercial trucks with staged-accident schemes, an issue that was brought to the forefront last year when the federal indictments of dozens of people charged with participating in staged accidents in Louisiana made headlines. Staged accidents can be devastating to individual carriers. But the impact of stagedaccident fraud and the general trend toward larger verdicts are also felt industry-wide in the form of skyrocketing insurance rates. The ATRI report referenced above, for instance, cites one motor carrier that was forced to cease operations in 2019 after its insurance premiums more than doubled year over year. “Multiple other fleets, many decades-old family businesses, experienced similar outcomes,” ATRI concluded. Given the far-reaching impact of staged accidents on the trucking industry, it’s crucial that motor carriers take steps to protect their
businesses and the industry overall. The first step is for carriers and drivers to get educated on common staged accident scenarios and indicators. Common staged accident scenarios include: • Swoop and squat: One perpetrator vehicle cuts off the victim and slams on the brakes after a second vehicle has pulled up alongside the victim, blocking them in and preventing them from swerving to avoid the collision. • Start and stop: The fraudster slams on their brakes in front of the victim, causing a crash. This scenario may play out during stopand-go traffic. • Sideswipe: A perpetrator vehicle swerves into the victim and claims that the victim crossed over into their lane. This staged crash may occur at busy intersections with dual left-turn lanes. Other indicators that an accident might be staged include: • Multiple passengers: Staged accident perpetrators want to maximize the profits, and that means cramming as many people into the car as possible to increase the number of fraudulent injury claims. • Jump-ins: Sometimes “passengers” may enter a vehicle after the collision and later claim that they were injured in the accident. So-called “jump-ins” are a huge red flag for fraud.
•P re-existing damage: Perpetrators often use beat-up cars for staged accidents. Look for vehicle damage that is not consistent with the crash. •V ehicle condition: Look for things like heavy dust and dirt on the vehicle, weathered tires, and old windshield wipers. These are all signs that the car isn’t regularly used and was only brought out for the staged accident. If a staged accident is suspected, it’s crucial that drivers immediately share any relevant information with responding law enforcement and their safety supervisor to ensure that fraud is considered during the accident investigation. Matthew J. Smith of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, who participated with EROAD in a webinar series on staged accidents, suggests that commercial drivers also use a smartphone to photograph the aftermath of an accident – the position of the vehicles on the road, the conditions of the vehicles, the debris field – and provide that information to responding officers. Smith also suggested a technology solution that can help protect carriers against fraud: video-based onboard safety management systems. “In-cab video for commercial vehicles is the single best tool to protect a commercial operator and a commercial driver from insurance fraud on the highways,” he said. n FIRST QUARTER 2022
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