Insurance policies are an important way that Little Rock residents protect themselves from loss. A person may have homeowner’s insurance to help them if their residence is damaged or destroyed. Similarly, they likely hold an automobile insurance policy to provide them with financial help if they are in an accident and need to cover the costs of repairing their vehicle.
When a person needs to draw on their insurance to fix an insured item, they must file a claim. Most of the claims that are filed with insurers are legitimate requests for support from individuals who have paid into their insurance policies over time. However, in some cases, individuals fraudulently file insurance claims to collect money that they neither need nor deserve.
A charge of insurance fraud generally includes the following elements. First, the person filing the claim must intentionally make a false statement with regard to an insurance claim. Second, their false statement must be related to the approval of their claim. In some cases, a person may erroneously make a mistake on their insurance claim, which should not constitute fraud if it was done as an innocent error.
Allegations of insurance fraud are very serious, and like other forms of fraud, insurance fraud is considered a white collar crime. Individuals often have defenses that they can offer when they are charged with serious crimes like insurance fraud, and formulating a strong defense strategy can be an important way to protect one’s future.
Criminal defense attorneys who offer white collar crime support may be able to provide readers with more case-specific information when they are facing allegations of insurance fraud. Asserting a defense is the accused best chance at clearing their name or reducing the impact these charges may have on his or her life.
