Starting in March of 2014, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department stopped responding to non-injury car accidents. While this saves law enforcement time and resources which they can put to better use elsewhere, it has led to a spate of insurance scams. Read ahead to find out what to look out for and to ensure your fender bender doesn’t end up costing you thousands more than it needs to.
Why Is Metro Not Responding To Accidents?
Photo by Allen
If you’re involved in a minor accident in the Las Vegas area, it is now your responsibility to exchange information, document what happened and report the incident. This allows officers to better respond to high priority accidents, especially those involving injuries and more dangerous crimes. While the policy is still too new to know whether it’s saving the department time, it is important to know that drivers involved in non-injury accidents can still call 911 to have a law enforcement officer dispatched.
A New Scam Has Emerged
Photo by woodleywonderworks
It didn’t take long before unscrupulous people tried to take advantage of the new law. After a recent crash on U.S. 95 and Decatur Boulevard, a man who claimed to be associated with a company called “Nevada Car Accident Reports” showed up and started collecting personal information. When the Nevada Highway Patrol arrived, the scammer was holding a driver’s paperwork. This man didn’t work for law enforcement, but did carry some official looking paperwork. The information collected by these scammers can be used to steal identities and commit insurance fraud, which is why it is so important to never offer your personal information to anyone other than a uniformed officer.
Following this attempted scam, the Nevada Highway Patrol has warned drivers in the Las Vegas valley to be on the look out for anyone other than law enforcement who shows up at an accident site. NHP is also concerned that phony wrecks could be staged in order to commit insurance fraud. If you’re involved in an accident, the most important things to do are to stay composed, understand the situation and get to safety. For more information on car accidents, call us today at (702) 522-7707.
Featured image by kconnors
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