Florida #1 in Staged Accident Claims

Suspicious insurance claims from staged accidents are on the rise- and nowhere more than in New York and Florida, two states with no-fault statutes. Georgia and North Carolina are also among the top states. Overall, the number of questionable claims from staged accidents increased by 46.3 percent from 2007 to 2009, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)

Additionally, the ratio of staged accident claims to overall bodily injury (BI) and personal injury protection (PIP) claims has increased over this period while the total number of BI and PIP claims has declined.

The top five states that generated the most staged accident questionable claims are: (1) Florida, 3,006; (2) New York, 1,680; (3) California, 1,619; (4) Texas, 792; and (5) Illinois, 433. Rounding out the top 10: North Carolina, 349; Georgia, 291; Pennsylvania, 276; Louisiana, 273; and Arizona, 235.

The five cities that generated the most staged accident questionable claims are: (1) New York City, 1,304; (2) Tampa, 562; (3) Miami, 511; (4) Orlando, 422; and (5) Houston, 376.