By Larry Weisberg on December 28th, 2012
When a person is injured while riding on Pennsylvania mass transportation, they may be able to file a claim against the transportation authority. This can help injured riders receive compensation for their medical bills and lost wages. Sometimes, however, riders try to take advantage of the system by filing bogus claims. Not only is this illegal, it also undermines the personal injury system, complicating the process for honest claimants.
On Thanksgiving 2010, a woman tripped and fell on a Philadelphia bus. She filed an appropriate claim with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. A passenger who witnessed the accident, however, was far less appropriate in his response. He gathered up five other people and they each filed a similar claim, stating that they were injured in a bus accident. SEPTA officials say there is no evidence supporting the claimant’s statements.
In fact, it appears there was no bus crash at all; SEPTA officials claim to have surveillance footage that clearly refutes the six claimant’s statements. Last week, Philadelphia prosecutors filed charges against five of the six people.
How Fraud Affects The Personal Injury System
Incidents such as this one undermine the personal injury system by tarnishing the reputations of all those who file claims. Thanks to well-publicized instances of fraud, some people assume that all those who file personal injury claims against mass transit authorities are being selfish or greedy. This is, of course, completely untrue. Most people who file personal injury claims are simply seeking reimbursement for the pain and suffering they have endured due to the negligence of another party.
Source: The Republic, “Officials: 6 made bogus injury claims for Philly bus accident that never happened,” Dec. 11, 2012