| New Jersey insurance fraud prosecutors are on | | | | signed or submitted an application, claim, affidavit, |
| the warpath. Really. People get indicted for all | | | | certification, etc. |
| kinds of insurance fraud in New Jersey every | | | | Insurance Fraud in New Jersey is a third degree |
| week. That certainly keeps New Jersey insurance | | | | crime. It can be upgraded to a second degree |
| fraud lawyers busy. And, get this: it's much easier | | | | crime if the defendant knowingly commits five or |
| to get in trouble for insurance fraud than most | | | | more acts of insurance fraud and if the aggregate |
| people think. | | | | value of property, services, or other benefit |
| So, what can you do to break one of New | | | | wrongly obtained or sought to be obtained is at |
| Jersey's numerous insurance fraud statutes? Well, | | | | least $1,000. Each act of insurance fraud is |
| for starters, you can submit a claim for payment, | | | | considered an additional separate crime. Five or |
| reimbursement or other benefit from an insurance | | | | more separate acts may be combined to |
| company or the Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment | | | | establish criminal liability for insurance fraud. And, |
| Fund of New Jersey. You can also file an | | | | just because you're indicted for insurance fraud |
| application to obtain or renew an insurance policy. | | | | doesn't mean you can't be indicted for other |
| Obviously, it involves more than filing an application | | | | offenses as well. New Jersey third-degree crimes |
| or submitting claims. Think about signing or | | | | carry a maximum sentence of five years in |
| submitting affidavits, certifications, records, or any | | | | prison and a $15,000 fine. Second-degree crimes |
| other paperwork used in any insurance or | | | | may get you a maximum sentence of 10 years in |
| premium finance transaction. The list really goes | | | | state prison and a $150,000 fine. |
| on. You play games with an insurance company, | | | | A word of advice. In most insurance fraud cases, |
| and you may soon be in the sights of insurance | | | | police will not show up at your door at 5 a.m. with |
| fraud prosecutors. | | | | an arrest warrant. You will usually receive a call |
| What should the State prove to convict one of | | | | from an investigator, from the insurance |
| insurance fraud? That's easy. The prosecutors | | | | company or the prosecutor's office, who will ask |
| must prove that you have made, or have caused | | | | you questions about your insurance transactions, |
| to be made, a false, fictitious, fraudulent, or | | | | claims, etc. They may tell you that you are being |
| misleading statement of material fact in any | | | | investigated for fraud. The most natural reaction |
| record, bill, claim or other document, in writing, | | | | of most people in this situation is to talk, and talk |
| electronically or in any other form. Alternatively, | | | | and talk to the investigator. Makes you feel good, |
| you must have omitted or caused to be omitted, | | | | right? Sort of ease you conscience. It may be so, |
| a material fact from any record, bill, claim or | | | | but you're helping them to build their case against |
| other document, in writing, electronically or in any | | | | you. So, this is the second to worst choice. The |
| other form. Finally, the law requires the State to | | | | worst choice is to tell the investigator to go to hell |
| prove that you have done all those terrible things | | | | and stop bogging you. The best choice is to |
| knowingly. As New Jersey insurance fraud | | | | politely reply that you are interested in discussing |
| lawyers, we make sure the State has a hard | | | | the case with them in the presence of your |
| time proving all this. | | | | lawyer, take their number, and promise them that |
| Every case is different, of course, and no lawyer | | | | your lawyer would be calling them. Then, you |
| can win every case. Sometimes the evidence is | | | | guessed it right, you should call a good New |
| just overwhelming. Sometimes, the law makes it | | | | Jersey insurance fraud lawyer and take it from |
| easier for the State to prove guilt. For example, | | | | there. If you've been accused of insurance fraud |
| the law allows the court to make an inference of | | | | in New Jersey, please call on us to help you. |
| intentional fraud from the fact that a person | | | | |