An on-road incident in which one of the drivers has purposely caused an accident is called a staged accident. Why would anyone trigger the occurrence of such an incident? Some car owners take that action in hopes of obtaining money from the insurance company, as per a personal injury lawyer in Livermore.
Key features of a staged accident
• The collision appears to be the fault of an unsuspecting driver.
• Those who took part in the staging submit a personal injury claim.
Any of these might be created, as a result of the accident’s staging
• A faked crash
• Faked injuries
• An accident report with facts that cannot be substantiated
• Witnesses that are faking their injuries or other losses
• Pretend victims
• Suspicious actions made, or suspicious remarks stated by someone that points a finger at the unsuspecting driver.
Maneuvers used by drivers that hope to create a staged accident
One driver pulls in front of another motorist, and then suddenly steps on the brake. The first driver’s car stops so suddenly that the driver in the rear cannot stop, and, thus collides with the vehicle in front of him or her. One person drives, while a passenger watches the movements of the motorist behind them. When the watched person takes his or her eyes off of the road, the driver in the front vehicle is told to stop. The unsuspecting driver collides with the stopped vehicle.
A driver suddenly increases the speed of his or her vehicle. Soon after choosing to accelerate, the same driver hits the brakes. The conflicting actions (acceleration, followed by coming to a stop) set the stage for a rear-end collision.
In a parking lot, or at a point where motorists at a freeway entrance must enter a line of traffic, one driver waves another one ahead. Then, as the unsuspecting motorist tries to enter the line of traffic, a vehicle hits him or her. It is the one with the driver that gave the “go-ahead” signal earlier. This only works if the damage to both vehicles matches with the sort of damage expected for the reported incident.
One vehicle has been parked along a curb. A second motorist tries to make a turn by heading toward the cub behind the parked vehicle. The car that was parked suddenly starts moving backward, and it hits the motorist that hopes to make a turn. Here, again, this only works if the damage to both vehicles matches with the claims made by the stager.
The writer witnessed an effort to succeed with the staging scene described above. The stager tried to increase the size of the planned claim by carrying a cane, when stepping from the vehicle that was supposed to have been hit by a careless driver.