PIP Fraud Cases in Florida
Detectives in Florida’s Division of Insurance Fraud responded to thousands of tips of suspected insurance fraud. Recent studies and statistics on insurance fraud show that nearly fifty percent (50%) of these tips involved allegations of “PIP” fraud.
Referrals of suspected PIP fraud have increased by nearly twenty-one percent (21%) since last year. In 2010, more than 1,000 PIP fraud cases were presented for prosecution resulting in nearly 1,000 arrests and more than 800 convictions. These PIP fraud cases in Florida also resulted in restitution amounts being court-ordered which totaled more than $156 million.
Attorneys for PPP Fraud in Tampa, FL
If you or your company is under investigation for any type of PIP or insurance fraud, contact an experienced attorney at Sammis Law Firm for insurance fraud defense cases. Never speak to law enforcement or any investigator until you have consulted with a criminal defense attorney.
Our attorenys represent individuals in PIP fraud and other types of white collar crime investigations throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.
We fight cases in Tampa in Hillsborough County, Bradenton in Manatee County, Clearwater and St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, New Port Richey and Dade City in Pasco County, Brooksville in Hernando County, Lakeland and Bartow in Polk County, FL.
Types of PIP Fraud Investigations in Tampa, FL
In Hillsborough County, the PIP squads in the Tampa Field Office received more than 1,400 suspicious PIP claim referrals submitted by the general public and the personal injury insurance industry.
Law enforcement officers focused on the financial activities of various medical clinics. Many of these investigations use confidential informants.
Staged Car Crashes
Many PIP fraud cases involve staged car accidents. Tampa has been named as the number-one city in the State of Florida for staged auto accidents, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Since Hillsborough County, including Tampa, has become ground zero for PIP fraud investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has focused on staged motor vehicle accidents by asking the public to report suspicious accidents.
In 2010, the department reported more than 100 arrests resulting in 150 criminal charges involving staged accidents. The State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County expects several more of these long-term investigations to be completed in 2012. Many investigations lead to the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Some fraud complaints involving staged car accidents are submitted through the Florida Department of Financial Services by using the online Fraud Reporting Website. Staged car accidents often use chiropractic clinics that file fraudulent medical claims to insurance companies for PIP automobile insurance coverage.
Law enforcement officers have developed methods of targeting individuals with a medical license who engage in insurance fraud, fraudulent billing practices, and patient brokering.
Those methods also target chiropractic clinics. Staged motor vehicle fraud has grown substantially in the Tampa Bay area, including St. Petersburg and Clearwater in Pinellas County and New Port Richey and Dade City in Pasco County, FL.
If you are under investigation for any white collar crime offense, including fraud, contact an attorney at the Sammis Law Firm. We represent clients in Tampa and the surrounding areas.
The WEST CENTRAL REGION Division of Insurance Fraud and PIP Fraud Contacts includes Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Polk County, and Sarasota County.
Tampa Field Office – 813.972.8602
Videos on Insurance and PIP Fraud in Florida
This video, produced by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), explains the swoop and squat. This maneuver is one of the most frequently seen insurance scams involving innocent Florida drivers.
PIP Fraud Video by the Florida News Capital discussing the most common PIP Fraud schemes and PIP fraud mills.
This article was last updated on Friday, May 26, 2023.
