When Car Accidents Are Intentional
When a car crash happens, it is usually an accident. It is not done on purpose. After all, why would anyone want to get into a wreck? Dealing with a car accident can be so frustrating and even overwhelming, so of course we would like to avoid that drama if at all possible.
However, some people do cause car crashes intentionally. They are not accidents at all. But why would they do something like that?
There are three main reasons:
- Insurance fraud. Fraud schemes can happen in many ways, but auto scams tend to happen in wealthy communities and in urban areas, where there are a lot of vehicles. “Crash-for-cash” insurance scams tend to target new, rental, or commercial vehicles because they are usually well-insured. Scammers will force you to crash into them, but make it look like you are at fault so that your insurance company pays out. This is usually done by rear-end accidents. Women and senior citizens are often targeted, since they tend to be less confrontational.
- Attempted suicide. Some crashes are also done as suicide attempts. A pedestrian may lie down in the road and wait for someone to run them over. A bicyclist may intentionally ride into traffic with the intent of getting fatally hit. A person may also intentionally drive their vehicle into a fixed object, such as a pole or tree. In some cases, they may even collide with a larger vehicle, such as a semi truck or bus in hope of killing themselves. However, this can cause serious injuries or fatalities to those in the other vehicle. Those who survive may experience emotional distress about what happened. They may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or avoid driving. Those who choose this method of suicide are typically men with a history of mental illness. Alcohol and drugs may or may not be involved.
- Murder or punishment. Some people may use their vehicle as a weapon to punish or kill someone. They may do this as part of road rage against a person they don’t know. They may also use their car to kill someone in cases of domestic violence, against a lover or someone they do know. In any case, there is often a lot of anger involved in these cases. The good news is that these types of crashes are rare. When they do happen, they tend to occur at low speeds, but still, a lot of damage can be done.
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
Most car accidents are just that — accidents. However, some are done on purpose, staged as scams, murders, or suicide attempts.
Now matter how your crash occurs, contact Houston car accident attorney from The West Law Office, PLLC so we can help determine liability. We can give you the legal advice you need. Fill out the online form or call 281-347-3247 to schedule a free consultation.
Source:
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140523000555
