A New York Defense Lawyer Explains When Faking an Injury is a Crime
Faking an injury in order to try to obtain money from an individual or from an insurance company can be a serious crime. There are many different scams which take the form of faking an injury scenario. Involvement in any of these scams can result in criminal charges brought by state prosecutors or could result in federal criminal charges.
Bukh Law Firm, PLLC provides representation to people accused of involvement in a scam in which they fake an injury. We can assist you in developing a strategic defense strategy if you are accused of defrauding an insurer or an individual. Give us a call to fight charges you face so you can try to keep your freedom and avoid financial loss.
Scams Involving Faking an Injury
There are many different scams involving faking an injury. In some cases, for example, a person calls a senior citizen and pretends to be an injured grandchild or a doctor calling about an injured grandchild. The grandparent is asked to wire money over right away to pay hospital bills and costs for the injured grandchild and is asked not to tell the parents. This type of scam capitalizes on the love a grandparent has for a grandchild.
Other types of scams involve faking an injury to make fraudulent claims with insurance companies. An individual could pretend to get hurt at work, could pretend to suffer an injury in a car accident, or could pretend to suffer a slip and fall. In some cases, the car accident is staged to fake the injury. The other driver could be asked to pay bills to avoid an insurance claim, and sometimes people will write a check because they believe they have injured someone and they don’t want their insurance rates to go up.
Under New York’s no fault laws, the staged accidents can also be effectively used to convince insurers to pay out for fake injuries- especially when doctors are involved in the scam and bill for medical treatments never provided and offer “medical diagnoses” and records purporting to show an injury which did not actually occur.
Penalties if You Fake an Injury
When you fake an injury and improperly obtain money from an individual or from an insurer, you can be charged with a variety of criminal offenses ranging from theft to insurance fraud. The nature of the scam and the amount of money obtained unlawfully will be determinative regarding potential penalties.
Some fraud scams are invested and prosecuted by state authorities while in other cases defendants are charged with federal offenses. It is not up to you whether you face federal or state charges, and federal charges usually result in much more significant penalties for defendants who are convicted of fraud offenses.
Whether you are charged with a federal or state crime, the possible consequences of conviction for offenses related to faking an injury can include jail time, required restitution, and a permanent criminal record.
How a New York Defense Lawyer Can Help
A New York defense lawyer can provide you with legal representation if you have been accused of involvement with any type of scam in which you fake an injury. Bukh Law Firm, PLLC represents people accused of either state crimes or federal crimes and our experienced legal team is ready to help you mount a vigorous defense to even the most serious of accusations.
Our goal is to help you to develop the right legal strategy to avoid consequences of minimize penalties. The evidence available and the nature of the charges will determine whether this strategy involves negotiating a plea deal or fighting for a not guilty verdict or dropped charges.
Don’t hesitate to get legal help as soon as you have been accused of any type of wrongdoing related to faking an injury or participating in any fraud scheme. Call Bukh Law Firm, PLLC today so a New York defense lawyer can begin building your case.
