• posted: Feb. 03, 2014
  • Pullin, Fowler, Flanagan, Brown & Poe, PLLC

In an effort to reduce insurance fraud, the National Insurance Crime Bureau conducts a rolling survey of questionable claims across all mainstream insurance sectors. In a national comparison, West Virginia demonstrated one of the lowest incidents of questionable claims. Of those claims that were surveyed, most of the questionable claims were made against a person’s own insurance company. The survey also saw a rise in third party liability claims in West Virginia.

Making a claim against someone else’s insurance policy is often more beneficial than making one on your own, and limits the risk of raising your own premium rates. However, being caught making fraudulent claims against either your own or someone else's policy can have a crushing impact on your premium, including being blacklisted for insurance coverage and/or possible criminal proceedings.

The NICB report of 2012 covers the first half of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Some of its more interesting findings include:

  • Overall, questionable claims for all insurance types continue to rise.
  • In auto claims, questionable vehicle theft claims are the most common overall, and, despite a fall in 2011, rates in 2012 are comparable to 2010 levels.
  • Phantom or faked accidents have risen for each of the three years of the survey.
  • Questionable accidents involving parked vehicles are on the rise.

These trends may indicate either that the insurance industry has become better at spotting fraudulent claims, or that motorists are increasingly resorting to fraud.

The lawyers at the West Virginia law firm of Pullin, Fowler, Flanagan, Brown & Poe have acted on behalf of insurers for many years and. together with our clients' forensic experts, we are adept at spotting spurious or fraudulent third party claims.  We also advise on Ohio and Kentucky third party liability claims.  Contact us at any of our four offices across West Virginia to see what we can do for you.