Insurance Fraud

In the last several years, the insurance industry has made a mission out of cracking down on insurance fraud, especially in the vehicle accident and medical treatment fields. They have actually given grants to government agencies to augment their budgets to prosecute these cases.  Prior to these grants, insurance fraud was a low priority in the local prosecutorial agencies throughout the state.  Today, prosecutors in these special fraud units can be the most aggressive in a given office.  

The state insurance fraud investigators actively investigate and prosecute all types of insurance fraud. Their leads come through insurance companies who feel certain claims are false or exaggerated.  This increased scrutiny developed as a result of  insurance company attacks upon lawyers and doctors/chiropractors who processed volume accident cases.  The industry, along with state investigators, targeted lawyers, paralegals, chiropractors, and others on the theory that these claims were being fraudulently built up by the lawyers and health professionals.

These cases can be very simple and minor or they can be very complex and large in scope. They can also involve virtually every type of insurance claim imaginable. Because they involve documents, the evidence can be very strong against the accused. But because the “intent” is an element, they can be tricky and difficult for the prosecution to prove. You will need an attorney who is experienced in document cases as well as an attorney who can effectively and credibly negotiate with the fraud units of the particular prosecutorial agency involved.  These cases rarely go to trial, but if they do, they can be very expensive because they are far longer than the typical jury trial.