# An Injury Claim\>? Are you Friggen Kidding me? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 26, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441 "2003-11-26T19:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/41 "2003-11-27T15:32:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Computer Guru \* > \*\*The police should though because private or not, it happened. Heck, cars are private property themselves. Police take care of other stuff on private property, why not a car crash in a parking lot. Seems silly that someone can’t file hit and run charges if someone hits them and then runs in a parking lot. That seems so backwards. \*\* But they don’t, and that’s what counts in this case. Could, Should, would-don’t. And I’d hardly call taking a report over the phone a “police report”. In California, police don’t take reports unless there is a catastrophic wreck or an injury. I like the idea of keeping a disposable camera around. Sam P.S.- a Hit-and-run on private property would be investigated by police, it’s a crime. A car accident is not. Crime on private property is investigated, but personal property damage isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/42 "2003-11-27T15:50:32Z")
In Tennessee at least, I’m almost positive the police will not come to accident on private property. Though I’m sure they would if there were injuries. I searched the Tennessee code, but my knowledge of law is well, teeny, so I didn’t get very far. The Chevy Avalanche doesn’t hurt my eyes quite like the Pontiac Aztek. And what exactly are they doing to the Ford Explorer? It was a regular, if rather boring SUV, now it looks like a minivan. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/43 "2003-11-27T15:51:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chastain86 \* > \*\*[I beg to differ.](http://www.pontiac.com/aztek/) \*\* There is a 2004 Aztec? How many of those things have they sold? I really thought that was the lowest selling car other than the Lincoln _Blackwood_. They tried to market the Aztec to 20 somethings at first, but the only people that I have ever seen driving them are middle aged people. I’ll second **Lord Ashtar** , always call the police after an accident, no matter how small. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/44 "2003-11-27T17:01:41Z")
Yeeehaw! She’s getting caught for fraud! I bet your insurance co won’t even give her a cent now, considering the fraud charge. Good to see the development **Phlosphr** , keep us updated. I want to see jail time! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/45 "2003-11-27T17:08:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*Yeeehaw! She’s getting caught for fraud! I bet your insurance co won’t even give her a cent now, considering the fraud charge. Good to see the development **Phlosphr** , keep us updated. I want to see jail time! \*\* Indeed! And that was a stupid thing to lie about. If she’d only claimed herself instead of trying to be a greedy bitch, she might have had a case. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/46 "2003-11-27T17:14:16Z")
> [@](#): > > That was a joke, right? Yes, but also note that some people DO feel this way and if you get one of those people who decide on the case, it’s not going to be pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/47 "2003-11-27T17:32:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Or at least make the process so difficult and the payouts so small that only those with legitimate cases would bother. \*\* That’s exactly what’s happening to me. I was hit from beind at 65 MPH when I was at a dead stop. For more than a year, I’ve been in constant pain. The insurance company is treating me like a filthy liar, and ensuring that every step will be as difficult as possible. It’s humiliating. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/48 "2003-11-27T17:37:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissa \* > **The insurance company is treating me like a filthy liar, and ensuring that every step will be as difficult as possible.** Yeah, I’m sorry to hear that, **Lissa**. Unfortunately, people like the woman in the OP have made it increasingly difficult for honest folks like you, who genuinely deserve to have their bills paid for, to get a settlement. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/49 "2003-11-27T17:40:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*btw, I have applied to our state to have a propane natural gas fuel system set-up in my truck - they have a program for this in Arizona, and my wife and I have appealed in our state for it. I’m all about cleaner air! \*\* Avalanche, cleaner air, that is good, you probably wear leather coats made from old animals. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/50 "2003-11-27T17:42:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Yeah, I’m sorry to hear that, **Lissa**. Unfortunately, people like the woman in the OP have made it increasingly difficult for honest folks like you, who genuinely deserve to have their bills paid for, to get a settlement. \*\* Actually I believe insurance companies would try to avoid paying claims even without people like that woman as they are a “for profit business” ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/51 "2003-11-27T17:54:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*Actually I believe insurance companies would try to avoid paying claims even without people like that woman as they are a “for profit business” \*\* No, but they were a lot more forthcoming with claims payments before fraud became so rampant. And fraud has definitely had an impact on insurance costs. We all pay a lot more than we would if there were no fraud. I also think the penalties for insurance fraud should be _much_ stiffer than they are now. People like the bitch in the OP would think twice about trying to file a false claim if they were faced with the possibility of spending the next thirty years in prison if they got caught. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/52 "2003-11-27T18:04:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Indeed! And that was a stupid thing to lie about. If she’d only claimed herself instead of trying to be a greedy bitch, she might have had a case. \*\* Bravo. I had a similar incident happen a few years ago. I was stopped to turn right and I was _SMASHED_ into from behind by a huge buick type car (I was in a Shadow). Anyhow - _SMASHED_, you understand. My head hit the wheel, I lost consciousness (Yes, I got a concussion - grade 2). Anyhow, I didn’t do much, got my car fixed, saw a massage therapist, etc. A few months later I got a call from my insurance company saying that the guy who hit me claimed the accident was my fault, I had been backing down the road at the time and had hit _HIM_ (WTF?!?!) etc, etc. My insurance company was saying if it was true they would be persuing fraud charges against me, want they’re deductable, etc. etc. Ass. Anyhow, I called my lawyer and wound up getting a pretty big settlement (as odd as this sounds, I didn’t actually realize the lawyer was going through with a claim, I thought he was just getting the insurance company off my back.) Good on ya - hopefully they’ll persue fraud charges against this woman - what a shitty thing for her to do. ---
**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/53 "2003-11-27T18:09:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*Avalanche, cleaner air, that is good, you probably wear leather coats made from old animals. \*\* You’re probably being sarcastic, but this is a really bad illustration of the irony of Phil’s statement. Perhaps he removed the exhaust filter from his car to reduce its weight and improve its fuel efficiency? Or maybe he has a wood-burning sapling incubator at home? Hmm? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/54 "2003-11-28T05:23:50Z")
About five years ago I allowed a friend to drive my car while I was a passenger. As we left at the mall parking lot, she failed to yield the right of way and hit a pickup truck. (She was blinded by the sun.) The accident was her fault. The man in the truck said that _after_ the impact, he had whacked his head on the steering wheel out of pure frustration and that that was the only thing that he had hurt. Over a year later he sued the driver, my husband and I for $75,000 for his injuries. Although the accident was only two blocks from my house, he sued in another state where the statute of limitations was two years instead of one! That state transferred it to Tennessee where the accident happened. They threw it out. It took _years_ for all of this to be sett;ed. We never had to pay a penny for his injuries. My insurance did not go up. I never had to set foot in a courtroom or pay an attorney. I decided at the beginning that there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it and that there was no point stewing over it. I have no doubt that this is one of the fraudulent cases that makes it difficult for legitimate injuries such as **Lissa’s** to be dealt with fairly. I agree with **QED** that penalties should be stiffer. The old expression “highway robbery” seems most appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/55 "2003-11-28T20:52:51Z")
/when it comes to motor vehicle laws there is no way make a statement which covers all states. I wish I could blow off half the BS accidents I have to write up. In New Jersey we will take reports on private property. It is a good idea to get a report for any accident but don’t be surprised if somone gets a ticket… and it might be you. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/56 "2003-11-29T06:34:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by belladonna \* > \*\*As to the suggestion to call the cops, I don’t know positively (meaning: no, I don’t have a cite) but I was always led to believe that police won’t come for fender benders in parking lots. Something about it being private property and a civil vs. criminal matter. Have I been misled? Would the cops actually show up if you called to tell them that you’d put a small dent in someone’s car, and no one is hurt, and you both have insurance, but would they please come anyway? \*\* According to my uncle, a lieutenant on the local force, here in Ohio it is up to each department about whether they file reports for fender benders on private property. The local city force stopped doing the reports last year when they had to cut back on services because of budget problems. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/57 "2003-11-29T10:54:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*I also think the penalties for insurance fraud should be _much_ stiffer than they are now. . \*\* Ya know, the 1st politician that says that will automatically get my vote. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441/58 "2003-11-29T22:06:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*Ya know, the 1st politician that says that will automatically get my vote. \*\* **Q.E.D.** for President! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-injury-claim-are-you-friggen-kidding-me/215441.md?page=2)