What you can do to avoid fender bender fraud

Fender bender fraud is one of the fastest growing types of insurance fraud in the United States. Unfortunately, most victims don’t even know that they’ve been scammed until it is too late. This type of fraud uses teams of professional drivers to deliberately cause accidents around the Wayzata, MN area, then bilk the driver’s insurance out of as much money as possible. Fortunately, there re some ways to protect yourself.

  1. Document everything if you’re in a crash. Often, these scam artists will embellish their injuries or the details of the accident in order to claim more money. If you take pictures and write down as much as possible, it’s possible to make a counter argument to their claims.
  2. Get a police report. Even if the other driver insists that they are willing to settle for less than your deductible, get an officer to document the crash. All too often, these scam artists will cause multiple crashes in the same day, netting thousands of dollars. The police, however, will be able to confirm everyone’s identity and look for other accidents that these scammers have been involved in.
  3. Report your suspicions to your insurance agent. If you notice anything strange or off during the aftermath of the accident, make sure that you report it to the police and your insurance agent. Often just flagging a relatively minor case as suspicious can help investigators put together a pattern of minor accidents.

Scam artists are everywhere, and it’s important to stay safe. Having good auto insurance is the best way to make sure you and your family are protected from fender bender fraud. Contact an agent at Pizano Insurance today to make sure you have the coverage you need.

Do I Really Need Home Insurance?

When you own a home in Wayzata, there is the question of whether you need home insurance. It can seem like an expense you don’t want to incur. However, it is something to consider.

Home insurance is not required by the state of Minnesota. This being said, if you have a mortgage, your lender may require that you have the insurance as a way of protecting their investment. This means that you will need to contact your lender to find out what the requirements are.

Whether you have a mortgage or not, it’s a good idea to have home insurance so that you are protected against the various things that could potentially happen. This may include burglary, a fire, a flood, and much more.

A typical homeowner’s insurance policy is going to protect your dwelling as well as the various items inside, including furniture and other belongings. You can add onto the policy to protect various other aspects, including additional buildings on your property as well as expensive belongings, such as art, jewelry, and more.

Should something happen your home, a claim can be filed with the homeowner’s insurance company. As long as it is one of the covered aspects, they will provide the money to make repairs or replacements – and this ensures that you don’t need to come up with all of the money on your own.

Homeowners insurance can be affordable, and is certainly going to be worth every penny in the event that you need to file a claim due to a heavy storm, fire, or something else that could prevent you from living in your home.

Call and talk to one of our knowledgeable insurance agents at Pizano Insurance today. We can talk to you about the various options available for homeowners insurance and get quotes to help you with the overall comparison process.