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Signs that a car accident was a set-up

On Behalf of | May 28, 2019 | Car Accidents

Imagine driving through Burlington, on your way to work. You enter the final intersection before you get to your workplace but before you make it safely to the other side, a car comes out of nowhere and you don’t have enough time to stop before the impact. Maybe you are thinking that car accidents happen every day and that it was only a matter of time before you were involved in one.

But what if it wasn’t actually an accident. What if the car crash was staged?

There is no one demographic that is at risk of becoming the victim of a staged car wreck. In general, it can happen to anyone. Here are a few signs of a staged vehicle collision.

“Swoop and squat”

This is one of the most common techniques that criminals use to stage a car wreck. It usually occurs in a multilane situation. You could be driving along, minding your own business, going smoothly with the flow of traffic when another vehicle pulls in beside you in the next lane, closing off any chance you have to move over. Then, the car in front of you suddenly slams on the brakes. With no option to swerve and avoid a collision, you rear-end the other vehicle. This is the classic “swoop and squat” maneuver.

False signals

Have you ever pulled up to an intersection, such as a four-way stop, and had another driver motion you through? In most cases, there is nothing sinister going on when another driver gives you the go-ahead. However, you can’t trust everyone. A person trying to set you up for a wreck might waive you through only to suddenly accelerate and slam into you. When the police show up and you give your statements, the other driver will deny ever having signaled you to take the right-of-way.

Doctor or lawyer recommendations

Sometimes, people will show up at an accident scene and try to convince you to go certain doctors or call certain lawyers. These professionals are often crooked and will commit fraud to get an easy payday. If someone appears at the scene of a car wreck and pressures you to go to one particular clinic or attorney, perhaps promising a too good to be true settlement, take a moment and reassess the situation. You might be the mark for a fraudulent insurance claim.

Magically present passengers

Another common tactic swindlers use to increase their claim for a staged car wreck is a sudden increase in passengers. For instance, immediately after impact, several people appear and jump into the other driver’s car. They then claim they were all injured as passengers in the collision.

If any of the above scenarios occur before, during or after a car wreck, it could be a set-up. After a car accident, write down everything that happened leading up to the wreck and its immediate aftermath especially if something seems odd. You may need this information to prove that the car accident was staged.

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