Air Bag Fraud: The Pullout and Switch
Thursday, July 11th, 2002 Auto FraudThe cost of replacing air bag components after a collision is one of the largest cost increases in the history of collision repair. Although most claims are legitimate, some are inflated or fraudulent and adjusters should review all claims for possible fraud. When handling claims involving air bags, certain indicators can help isolate those that may need closer scrutiny. Due to the sophisticated crash sensing capabilities of air bag systems, the air bags will not deploy in many staged accidents. If the rapid deceleration necessary for air bag deployment does not occur, the air bags will not deploy. Many accidents are staged by means other than actually colliding with another car. Some staged accidents are produced by banging up the car while it is parked and the key is off, which, in most cases, will not result in air bag deployment.
