Unemployed and truck accidents

We've had this kind of problem for over 40 years that I know of. They usually work in pairs and go after the deep pockets. My company has fought these types of set-ups for along time and they mostly happen in the Los Angeles area for us. The company has installed a camera system to combat this type of scam which looks forward and at the driver. We do not just pay the people for cost anymore because it's now the principle that the company wants to fight. If the camera system shows it's a scam, and it will if it is, the company will have a team of high dollar lawyers to meet the parties in court.

 

Came across this nugget while searching for dash cams - which I plan to install on my truck. I've had a sticker from Code 3 on my car for the last few years - just to get the attention of any officers who pull me over and want to play "Cartman" games.
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Swoop and squat
After the sounds of tires screeching and metal crunching subside, the reality starts to set in. You’ve just been in a wreck with a four-wheeler.
After the injured are tended to, the process of finding fault begins.
Too many times, it seems fault automatically falls to the big truck. Dash cams can prove invaluable in these situations, just ask George Borg.
Borg of Chamberburg, PA, was driving east on Interstate 290 in Illinois in fairly heavy traffic on Dec. 19, 2004. That’s when he was involved in a wreck that has every indication of being a textbook example of “swoop and squat.”
According to Amica Insurance, in this particular scam, a driver intentionally “swoops” in front of a vehicle and then “squats” or stops abruptly. Sometimes, an accomplice will box in victims by driving next to their vehicle so they have no choice but to rear-end the squatter.
Even though Borg was issued a ticket, he’s got the dash-cam defense on his side.
Borg forwarded a copy of the events captured by his high-tech video system to OOIDA. In the video, Borg is following the flow of traffic in the center lane of a three-lane interstate. A white SUV swerves in front of Borg’s truck once and slows for no apparent reason, closing the gap between the SUV and Borg’s truck.
“He took away my braking distance when we were in acceleration mode,” Borg said. “He wasn’t allowing me to back out of it – the distance between us and the SUV. So, I had to choose an out.”
Borg knew there was a restriction barring big trucks from the left-hand lane, but he had to choose the lesser of two evils: risk rear-ending the SUV or switch to the left-hand lane.
Borg said the driver of the SUV accelerated ahead of him. When he caught back up to the SUV, the driver swerved toward Borg’s Volvo, stopped and threw his door open. Borg’s video shows him swerving further to the left to avoid the door.
A bit further down the interstate, Borg was able to get back into the center lane.
That’s when the SUV swooped into the center lane, directly in front of Borg’s truck, and slammed on the brakes, although traffic ahead continued to rapidly pulled away. Borg didn’t have the time or space to react and rear-ended the SUV.
A “witness” showed up on the scene and told Borg that he “saw everything” and called Borg a “lunatic.” The only problem is, the witness didn’t know there was a video camera. Once Borg pointed that out, the witness mysteriously disappeared.
The driver of the SUV was also somewhat surprised, according to Borg, to find out the whole series of events had been caught on tape.
The investigating officer moved Borg and the driver of the SUV to a nearby exit ramp and proceeded to look at the video and interview the SUV driver and his passenger. The officer then promptly issued Borg a ticket.
But the ticket wasn’t for following too close, or some other infraction usually accompanying a rear-end collision. Borg was cited for driving in the left lane.
“(The officer) stated that in his professional opinion the accident was my fault because I changed lanes,” Borg said. “And the other driver didn’t get anything.
“This is total outright war. If the Illinois State Police think they are going to get away with that, they’re sadly mistaken.”
Borg has filed complaints with the Illinois State Police.
“It’s discrimination against truckers,” Borg said. “This is selective enforcement. The police officer can’t prove his point.”
As of press time, Borg was in the process of clearing up the citation and gearing up to sue the driver of the SUV for his out-of-pocket expenses and downtime caused by the wreck.
Borg’s ally in all of this is a video showing the entire incident, complete with the eye witness that disappeared once he found out it was all on tape – not exactly a his-word-against-yours situation anymore.
Dash cams can be a high-tech system – like Borg’s – that mounts on the dash and is linked to a digital recording device. Or it can be as low-tech as a camcorder stuck on the dash with duct tape. Either way, these two cases of dash cam defense clearly show that a picture is worth a thousand words – and can be a pretty good eyewitness if you need one.

http://www.landlinemag.com/Archives/2005/Mar05/features/dash_cam.htm​

 

This scam also reminds me of Haiti.

UN policy was to compensate Haitians for injuries incurred from UN personnel or equipment, so it was not uncommon for some of them to "step in front of a UN vehicle" on the narrow streets/roads to try and get the $5k payment.

Many a Haitian came to our hospital with substantial upper torso and head injuries - not taking into account how much higher military vehicles and a different POI than with a car.

These folks would be known as "entreprenaurs" a couple of years ago...

 

I have to agree... if we stick to the Smith System (1. Aim high in steering; 2. Get the big picture; 3. Keep your eyes moving; 4. Leave yourself an out; 5. Make sure they see you.) For the new drivers out there reading this, these are rules to live by. If you don't live by these rules, you aren't living much longer. These trucks can kill you and it may not be your fault. Remember you not only have to operate your truck, but you have to drive for the 4-wheelers as well. I am not going to wish everyone good luck, we are professionals, so I will wish everyone good skill. God bless and be safe.