SOURCE SHARING

Auto Insurance Fraud

>> FRAN WESCOTT: ONE MORE THING.  WE HAVEN'T YET TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE AUTO INSURANCERELATED FRAUDS AND THIS IS A WHOLE LIKE THAT COULD BE AN HOUR UNTO ITSELF FROM WHAT I UNDERSTANDAND LEARN FROM YOU ALL.  LET'S START FIRST WITH AUTO REPAIR BECAUSE IT'S A STRESSFULTIME, AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIND REPUTABLE COMPANIES THAT CAN DO THE WORK, BUT NOW ONEHAS TO ALSO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOING TO BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY WITH REGARDTO CLAIMS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES.  SO MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUTTHE KIND OF FRAUD THAT ARE BEING PERPETRATED IN THIS AREA OF THE UNIVERSE AND THEN A LITTLEBIT ABOUT HOW TO AVOID IT AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR. >> HON.  WAYNE GOODWIN: WELL, I WILL START.  WE HEAR ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT BECAUSE, YOUKNOW, EVERYONE IS ON THE ROAD AND SADLY EVERY FAMILY AT SOME POINT OR THE OTHER MAY HAVEAN ACCIDENT.  WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STICKS OUT IS WHERE YOU HAVE A BODY REPAIRSHOP WILL TRY TO PAD THE BILL.  BASICALLY REPORT THAT THE DAMAGE WAS GREATER THAN IT WAS, ANDBY BILLING FOR THAT EXCESSIVE COST, THAT'S A FRAUD RIGHT THERE.  THEN THEY FALSELY REPORTTHAT CERTAIN PARTS WERE LOST OR WERE DAMAGED.  THERE MAY BE. . . THEY MAY CONTEND THAT THEYPUT ON THE VEHICLE PARTS THAT WERE ORIGINAL TO THAT MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR BUT ACTUALLYWERE NOT AND THERE'S ALL TYPES OF THINGS THAT CAN OCCUR.  THAT, AGAIN, GOES BACK TO ASKINGQUESTIONS AND WORKING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS REPUTABLE.  AND YOU ALSO YOU KNOW, YOU HAVETHE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHOMEVER YOU WANT TO PREPARE YOUR VEHICLE.  OFTENTIMES INSURANCE CARRIERSWILL RECOMMEND SOMEBODY AND YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TOO, AS TO WHOM IS THISPERSON SERVING, WHOSE INTEREST ARE THEY SERVING?I'M SURE ANGELA AND AL HAVE SOME COMMENTS ABOUTTHIS AS WELL. >> AL KOEHLER: A LOT OF TIMES WITH TOW TRUCK OPERATORS AFTER YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE TOW TRUCK COMES OUT AND TAKES IT TO A FAVORITE BODY SHOP.  WELL, THAT BODY SHOP ISGOING TO WANT TO DO THE BODY WORK THERE THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THE VEHICLE THERE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAY NOT WANT YOU TO USE THAT BODY SHOP.  THEY MAY WANT YOU TO USEYOUR OWN, BUT IF YOU DO DECIDE TO USE THAT ONE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS ONLY GOING TOPAY WHAT THEY THINK IS THE PROPER AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR REPAIR.  WELL, THAT BODY SHOP MIGHTCHARGE, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE AND THE CONSUMER IS GOING TO GET STUCK WITH THE DIFFERENCE. >> FRAN WESCOTT: WITH THE DIFFERENCE. >> AL KOEHLER: SO THAT'S WHY AS THE COMMISSIONER SAYS, YOU REALLY NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORKAND FIND OUT, GET AN ADJUSTOR TO LOOK AT YOUR VEHICLE, GET AN INDEPENDENT ADJUSTOR.  GETMORE THAN ONE ESTIMATE AND TRY TO FIND OUT WHICH IS THE BEST ESTIMATE TO GET.
>> FRAN WESCOTT: ONE MORE THING.  WE HAVEN'T YET TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE AUTO INSURANCERELATED FRAUDS AND THIS IS A WHOLE LIKE THAT COULD BE AN HOUR UNTO ITSELF FROM WHAT I UNDERSTANDAND LEARN FROM YOU ALL.  LET'S START FIRST WITH AUTO REPAIR BECAUSE IT'S A STRESSFULTIME, AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIND REPUTABLE COMPANIES THAT CAN DO THE WORK, BUT NOW ONEHAS TO ALSO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOING TO BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY WITH REGARDTO CLAIMS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES.  SO MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUTTHE KIND OF FRAUD THAT ARE BEING PERPETRATED IN THIS AREA OF THE UNIVERSE AND THEN A LITTLEBIT ABOUT HOW TO AVOID IT AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR. >> HON.  WAYNE GOODWIN: WELL, I WILL START.  WE HEAR ABOUT THIS QUITE A BIT BECAUSE, YOUKNOW, EVERYONE IS ON THE ROAD AND SADLY EVERY FAMILY AT SOME POINT OR THE OTHER MAY HAVEAN ACCIDENT.  WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STICKS OUT IS WHERE YOU HAVE A BODY REPAIRSHOP WILL TRY TO PAD THE BILL.  BASICALLY REPORT THAT THE DAMAGE WAS GREATER THAN IT WAS, ANDBY BILLING FOR THAT EXCESSIVE COST, THAT'S A FRAUD RIGHT THERE.  THEN THEY FALSELY REPORTTHAT CERTAIN PARTS WERE LOST OR WERE DAMAGED.  THERE MAY BE. . . THEY MAY CONTEND THAT THEYPUT ON THE VEHICLE PARTS THAT WERE ORIGINAL TO THAT MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR BUT ACTUALLYWERE NOT AND THERE'S ALL TYPES OF THINGS THAT CAN OCCUR.  THAT, AGAIN, GOES BACK TO ASKINGQUESTIONS AND WORKING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS REPUTABLE.  AND YOU ALSO YOU KNOW, YOU HAVETHE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHOMEVER YOU WANT TO PREPARE YOUR VEHICLE.  OFTENTIMES INSURANCE CARRIERSWILL RECOMMEND SOMEBODY AND YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TOO, AS TO WHOM IS THISPERSON SERVING, WHOSE INTEREST ARE THEY SERVING?I'M SURE ANGELA AND AL HAVE SOME COMMENTS ABOUTTHIS AS WELL. >> AL KOEHLER: A LOT OF TIMES WITH TOW TRUCK OPERATORS AFTER YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE TOW TRUCK COMES OUT AND TAKES IT TO A FAVORITE BODY SHOP.  WELL, THAT BODY SHOP ISGOING TO WANT TO DO THE BODY WORK THERE THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THE VEHICLE THERE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAY NOT WANT YOU TO USE THAT BODY SHOP.  THEY MAY WANT YOU TO USEYOUR OWN, BUT IF YOU DO DECIDE TO USE THAT ONE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS ONLY GOING TOPAY WHAT THEY THINK IS THE PROPER AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR REPAIR.  WELL, THAT BODY SHOP MIGHTCHARGE, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE AND THE CONSUMER IS GOING TO GET STUCK WITH THE



DIFFERENCE. >> FRAN WESCOTT: WITH THE DIFFERENCE. >> AL KOEHLER: SO THAT'S WHY AS THE COMMISSIONER SAYS, YOU REALLY NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORKAND FIND OUT, GET AN ADJUSTOR TO LOOK AT YOUR VEHICLE, GET AN INDEPENDENT ADJUSTOR.  GETMORE THAN ONE ESTIMATE AND TRY TO FIND OUT WHICH IS THE BEST ESTIMATE TO GET.

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