Motor Aviva : scammer staging accidents in car parks

odyssey06

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Aviva sent this bulletin out to their Motor Insurance customers...

We want you to be safe on the road and to avoid any accidents that could cause injury or damage to your car.

However, you need to be extra vigilant to ensure you are not the victim of fraudulent staged collisions.

In recent months Aviva has seen growing evidence of innocent motorists being targeted by fraudsters who are seeking financial gain from bogus insurance claims.
We have seen a trend of very minor collisions in public car parks resulting in the submission of personal injury claims for soft tissue injuries such as whiplash.

This is what happens:
  • An innocent motorist reverses out of a car parking space.
  • Another vehicle carrying 2 or 3 passengers collides with them.
  • The innocent driver accepts that he or she is at fault.
  • Both parties exchange insurance details but agree that the damage is so insignificant that there is no need to notify the Gardaí.
  • The occupants in the offending vehicle subsequently contact the insurance company and pursue injury claims against the innocent driver.
We believe this may be insurance fraud and it impacts innocent drivers by driving claims costs up and thus contributing to increased premiums.

Aviva is committed to protecting our customers. We have a zero tolerance policy on insurance fraud and investigate and fight all suspected cases.

If you are involved in this type of incident in the future please ensure you contact your local Gardaí at the time of the incident. Do not accept any liability at the scene of the accident and contact Aviva as soon as possible on 1890 666 888.
 
An innocent motorist reverses out of a car parking space.

Always best to reverse into a parking space, you have much better visibility and awareness of what is going on all around you. Once you are in the process of reversing, any accident will be settled against you by the insurance companies.
 
Just out of interest -- I was under the impression that the Gardai probably won't attend the scene of an accident if nobody has been hurt. Is that correct, and if so, is there still some point to calling them (e.g. being able to get a report later)? How does this address the issue of the other party saying there was no personal injury and changing their mind later?
 
Just out of interest -- I was under the impression that the Gardai probably won't attend the scene of an accident if nobody has been hurt. Is that correct, and if so, is there still some point to calling them (e.g. being able to get a report later)? How does this address the issue of the other party saying there was no personal injury and changing their mind later?

I had the same thought... but if you suspect fradulent claim then at least you will have shown you notified Gardai immediately. If they don't attend a report of a fradulent claim, well then we'll know how much a priority is placed on such offences despite all the government talk about it!
 
Just to add to above dilemma, The fraudsters are actually beckoning the motorist out form a stopped position with the intention of assisting the unfortunate motorist and then driving in to the vehicle. Its then one word against the other, and they are pretty familiar with the location of camera positioning.

Its pretty two face of the insurance industry now saying they are taking situations like this seriously, when all along they settled out of court, knowing suspect cases were being set up, as it was cheaper than going to Court on the generous gravy train to see, what most fraudsters believe sit in Judgment, Santa.

The Courts have fertilized these actions in my opinion.
 
s there still some point to calling them (e.g. being able to get a report later)?

Would assume that the same people are doing multiples of these "fraudulent" claims. By reporting to Gardaí, then there is an evidence trail - something that will help insurance companies if they go to courts?
 
this is sad, but it might be worth getting cameras in your car back and front like in eastern Europe or Russia
 
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