Guilty: Faker who boarded bus after non-crash

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 04/07/2011 | Peter Mucha

[Kid Shelleen]

If someone were to write Insurance Fraud for Dummies, it might include such advice as: Before you fake an injury, make sure there's an actual crash. Also, don't get caught on video running a quarter-block to board a bus after an accident.

"It's almost comical," said Assistant District Attorney Linda Montag.

On Nov. 19, 2008, a SEPTA bus made contact with a taxi in the 1300 block of Walnut Street about 2 p.m., she said.

"It was a very small tap by a taxicab. There wasn't even a scratch on the bus," she said.

Yet three people - including two men who ran aboard after the incident - began claiming bodily harm

[Kid Shelleen]

*** "More than 9,000 claims for injuries or property damage have been made against SEPTA since the beginning of 2010," ***

[JohnLongIsland]

During the Dinkins Administration in NYC there were a whole bunch running around with a neck brace in their back pockets looking for bus crashes. Funny how that scam stopped when Guiliani was elected.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Most of the 9,000 were probably from this one incident.

[Onelifetogive]

*** "More than 9,000 claims for injuries or property damage have been made against SEPTA since the beginning of 2010," ***

SEPTArations?

[dragnet2]

This happens all the time...Very common.

In Dallas, when a bus crashes, everyone in the intersection falls down, claiming they were on the bus. Same in LA, Chicago etc...

Of course compared the epic fraud created by millions of illegals, this is all small potatoes.

[UCANSEE2]

Many years ago, I could have been much richer. I was on a city bus, going to work. The bus was approaching my stop, so I stood up to walk to the front. The bus hit a car, and and went flying down the aisle, hit the floor and slid to the front. I also had a back injury from a car accident (years before) which means the bus accident could have caused more damage.

Did I go to the hospital? Did I sue?

No. I went to work.

WHY? Because I'm not a scammer who thinks they can use any opportunity to 'get up' on the bus company. Because I didn't feel like I was injured enough. Sure , my back was sore, but I didn't think that was enough to make an issue out of it.

Yeah, I could have soaked the bus company, and made it more expensive for everyone to ride the bus, but I didn't.

[Alberta's Child]

NJ TRANSIT stages these sting operations every now and then where they take a bus full of employees and plainclothed transit police officers and have an "accident" with a car driven by another transit cop. The bus driver opens the doors and makes a big show about arguing with the motorist about the "crash," and meanwhile they have hidden cameras on the bus recording dozens of onlookers running onto the bus and falling all over the aisle.

There was one case a few years ago where something like 250 people claimed to be on a bus involved in one of those "accidents," and the most disgraceful aspect of it is that a number of doctors were among those prosecuted for fraud. They also prosecuted several lawyers who showed up on the scene, handed out business cards to people who weren't even on the bus, and began coaching them (right there on the scene) about how to file fraudulent injury claims.

[kearnyirish2]

In NYC they staged accidents to catch those people; it was incredible how many of them were fairly well-off people. Guess they got tired of the daily grind...