One reason car insurance prices continue to rise in New Jersey as well as the rest of America is insurance fraud. Insurance fraud makes it necessary for car insurance companies – and all insurance companies, for that matter – to raise their rates in order to compensate for the money being paid for illegal insurance claims.
You can help yourself, and your fellow New Jersey drivers, to keep car insurance prices down and help maintain cheap car insurance in New Jersey by educating yourself about insurance fraud.
What is insurance fraud?
A person commits insurance fraud when he or she gives his or her car insurance company false information while filing an insurance claim. For example, if you crashed into a telephone poll, and claimed you had a friend in the vehicle with you who sustained injuries, your friend could collect money from your insurance company to compensate for the injuries. You two could split the money and have a fun night. However, that friend was never in the car, so it’s fraud.
How does insurance fraud affect me?
As a New Jersey driver, insurance fraud affects you when car insurance companies have to keep hiking up their premiums. You end up paying more money to compensate for the crimes committed by others.
Do those who commit insurance fraud walk away wealthier?
Well, the sad truth is that if they don’t get caught, they do walk away with some extra money in their pockets. However, if the do get caught committing insurance fraud in New Jersey, they face losing their driver’s licenses, paying fines of up to $15,000 per incident, and jail time.
What should I do if I know of an insurance fraud incident? To help keep cheap car insurance in New Jersey, you can report any incidents of insurance fraud by calling (877) 55-FRAUD. All information about yourself is kept anonymous and the fraud information you provide is kept confidential