Los Angeles Insurance Fraud Attorneys

Aggressive Defense for People Accused of Insurance Fraud

While the term “white-collar crime” is sometimes downplayed by the media as lesser offenses, the charges associated with those offenses can be significant. Being charged with and convicted of a white-collar crime such as insurance fraud can have serious ramifications and a huge impact on your future. To ensure that your rights are protected, and your best interests aren’t ignored in a court of law, it is important that you immediately contact a defense attorney if you’re facing any charges associated with insurance fraud.

If you or a loved one has been charged with any form of insurance fraud, do not attempt to represent yourself, or rely on court-appointed legal counsel. Public defenders often have extremely busy schedules and cannot give you the level of service that a dedicated defense attorney can typically provide. No matter what kind of insurance fraud you or someone you know has been accused of, retaining the services of an experienced defense attorney is imperative.

If you stand accused of insurance fraud, call the Los Angeles white collar crime attorneys at Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP right away at (213) 688-0460 to discuss your case and your legal options.

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Definition of Insurance Fraud

In general, insurance fraud is defined as any action that seeks to receive compensation from an insurance company on untrue grounds. For example, someone filing a workers’ compensation claim who was not actually injured could be committing insurance fraud. Similarly, a claim that exaggerates about damage from a car collision can also be considered insurance fraud.

For insurance fraud to happen in California, two elements are required:

1. A person must have the intent to defraud an insurance company and do so knowingly;
2. A person must act on that intent, such as by filing a fraudulent claim.

Both elements must be present and proven for a defendant to be convicted of insurance fraud. No actual loss must occur – so a claim can be denied or under investigation when insurance fraud charges are filed against an individual.

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Types of Insurance Fraud

Essentially, any kind of insurance can be the target for fraudulent actions and claims. Some of the most common types of insurance fraud include:

• Auto Insurance Fraud – This usually falls into either collision fraud, which involves purposefully getting into a collision to file a claim, or property fraud, which includes things like lying about damage to a vehicle.
• Medical Insurance Fraud – Purposefully being injured in order to file a claim or exaggerating about injuries can all be forms of medical insurance fraud. This can also include lying about disabilities.
• Life Insurance Fraud – This type of fraud can include things like a staged or questionable death. Misrepresentations about health and other information on an application for insurance may also result in a fraud charge.
• Workers’ Compensation Fraud – Suspicious claims can come from employees and employers alike. Inflating medical expenses or exaggerating injuries can both be forms of workers’ compensation fraud.
• Property Insurance Fraud – This can include suspicious theft, such as someone stealing from his own business and reporting it as theft in order to collect insurance money. Arson and other forms of property damage can also be fraudulent.

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Penalties for Conviction

Penalties for an insurance fraud conviction often depend on the nature of the fraud and the value of the fraudulent claim. If the value of a claim is less than $950 then the penalties are often less serious than claims over that value. Possible penalties can include:

• Less than $950 – up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
• More than $950 – imprisonment for up to two, three, or five years; a fine of up to $50,000 or double the defrauded amount, whichever is greater; or both.

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Call us Right Now!

Insurance fraud is a serious charge and you need a serious defense to protect yourself if you’ve been accused. Call Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP today at (213) 688-0460 and let us fight for you.

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Contact Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP Today
Phone: (213) 688-0460
Fax: (213) 624-1942