My son (25) was in an at-fault accident. He owns his car, has his own insurance, and lives in our house. Today, his insurance company called and said a lawyer filed a claim with my daughter’s name attached to the same accident.
The problem is, my daughter wasn’t even in the car or involved in any way. The insurance company said the lawyer is probably fishing for other policies to file against, but they will deny the claim in her name.
Is this normal? It feels like fraud. Can I report this anywhere? Not sure what steps to take next.
This isn’t fraud, it’s just how attorneys try to locate any available insurance coverage. Very common practice. Any policy that doesn’t provide coverage will deny it, and the correct policy will handle the claim.
@Sparrow
I get filing a claim under my son’s name, but using my daughter’s name when she had nothing to do with it? That seems wrong. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to file one under my name too. Appreciate the explanation though.
@Ming
It’s likely because all household policies could potentially come into play. The lawyer is just checking for coverage. If there’s no connection, the claim gets denied and that’s the end of it.
Sparrow said: @Ming
It’s likely because all household policies could potentially come into play. The lawyer is just checking for coverage. If there’s no connection, the claim gets denied and that’s the end of it.
It just caught me off guard when the insurance company called saying my daughter was involved in an accident she wasn’t even part of. I guess I’ll wait to see if my own insurance gets a claim next. Thanks again for the clarification.
You said they only had your son’s name, but they also have your daughter’s name, so which is it? If they had no connection to her, they wouldn’t have been able to file anything under her name.
Jane said:
You said they only had your son’s name, but they also have your daughter’s name, so which is it? If they had no connection to her, they wouldn’t have been able to file anything under her name.
I see what you mean. What I meant was, my daughter’s name was never connected to the accident in any way, yet they still filed using it. The insurance company told me they probably did an address search and just pulled any family members living at the same address to check for additional policies.
Attorneys do this all the time to see if other policies in the household might apply. They might even ask your son to sign paperwork confirming any additional insurance.
This is a fraudulent attempt to file a claim under your daughter’s name. Gather all documents, work with the insurance company to get the claim denied in writing, and consider reporting it to your state insurance department or the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). If the lawyer keeps pushing, you may want to consult an attorney to send a cease-and-desist letter.
@Cam
This isn’t fraud, and there’s no need to escalate it. It’s just a routine part of insurance claims. No need for a lawyer, FBI, or anything dramatic. The claim will get denied if there’s no coverage, end of story.
This is normal. Lawyers often look for any household insurance that might provide coverage. Your name will probably be next. It’s not fraud, just part of how claims work.