When most people hear the term insurance fraud, they think of it as something that has no impact on their life. However, insurance fraud impacts every automobile driver even when it happens to another company.
Law enforcement officials say that insurance fraud effects 1 out of every 3 insurance claims, slowing down the processing of legitimate claims and raising insurance premiums.
Most insurance fraud goes unreported making it difficult to know exactly how much it truly costs. Often times, insurance fraud comes by way of a repair not done to a vehicle after an accident so the motorist doesn’t know that the car wasn’t fixed properly unless it is uncovered.
Insurance fraud can include improper repair work using counterfeit parts or repair work that isn’t done as all.
You may think that this type of thing doesn’t happen often because of the many checks and oversight in the insurance industry. Unfortunately, those people who disregard the law can be found in every industry and they find different ways to escape being caught.
Using counterfeit parts is one way that unscrupulous auto body shops commit insurance fraud. Counterfeit parts are parts that are not authorized by car makers. These parts can look the same and fit the same but they usually do not perform the same.
We have all heard of counterfeit hand bags and watches that have the same look and feel as the brand name item except for subtle differences. counterfeit auto body parts are the same with one exception – wearing a counterfeit watch or hand bag may cause you to get into trouble, but they don’t usually put your safety at risk. Counterfeit car parts can make your vehicle unsafe to operate which makes them both illegal and dangerous.
Incomplete repairs are another type of insurance fraud. When an auto body shop does not totally complete the repair but charges for it, it can put your safety at risk. Sometimes the incompletion is a minor detail but even minor details can cause problems.
If you brought your car to another auto body shop to be fixed but you feel that the job was done incorrectly, contact us at 718 948-8585 for a free Post Repair Inspection. If we find that the repair work was not done properly we will fix your vehicle at no cost to you.