Short summary: Two Brooklyn men were sentenced to prison after admitting they staged three fake car crashes on New York City highways to collect fraudulent insurance payouts. If you were ever in a real crash, this generally has no direct effect on your claim, but it does explain why insurers scrutinize soft tissue injury claims so closely.
On August 27, Governor Hochul and Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the sentencing of two men involved in the scheme: a 53-year-old man and a 34-year-old man, both from Brooklyn.
The older man recruited people with promises of cash payouts. The younger man did the driving, slamming on the brakes to cause rear-end collisions, and once reversing into another car to force a crash.
What the scheme actually looked like
The staged crashes happened between August and October 2024 on New York City highways.
- The 53-year-old was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison.
- The 34-year-old was sentenced to 2 years.
- Two more people who allegedly took part are due to be sentenced in September.
Insurers lose billions of dollars a year to staged crash rings like this one. That cost gets passed on to everyone through higher premiums, and it makes insurance companies more suspicious of every claim that comes in, including yours.
Why this matters if you're ever in a real crash
Fraud cases like this one are part of why insurance adjusters ask so many questions after a real accident.
They're trained to look for patterns that resemble staged crashes: sudden braking, rear-end impacts, soft tissue injuries with no visible vehicle damage. A real accident victim can get caught in that same skepticism.
How to protect a real claim
- Call the police and get a report, every time, even for a minor fender bender.
- Photograph the damage to all vehicles, the scene, and any skid marks.
- Get checked out by a doctor within 72 hours, even if you feel fine at first.
- Write down what happened while it's fresh, including anything the other driver said.
Doing this early is the best way to separate your claim from a suspicious one. It's also generally worth being careful about how much you say before you know where you stand, our guide on talking to the insurance adjuster covers what to expect on that call.
Questions New Yorkers ask us
Can an insurance company deny my claim just because it looks similar to a staged crash?
An insurer generally cannot deny a legitimate claim only because it shares surface details with fraud cases, but they can and do investigate harder. Good documentation from the scene and your doctor is what moves a real claim through faster.
What should I do first after any crash, staged-crash scares aside?
Check for injuries, call 911, and get a police report before you leave the scene. Our step by step guide walks through the first ten things to do after a New York crash.
Do I need a lawyer if my claim gets extra scrutiny?
Not always, but if an adjuster is dragging their feet or questioning a legitimate injury, it generally helps to have someone reviewing the file with you before you sign anything.
Not sure where you stand after a crash? Get your free case review or call (347) 526-1246. A real person answers, 24/7.
Reporting: Gothamist.
