Lawmakers Urge Tennessee Residents to Look Out for Car Accident Clinic Scams

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in 2018 prohibiting certain healthcare providers from soliciting auto accident victims within 30 days from the accident. The bill was passed due to a growing concern over the presence of accident clinic scams preying on people injured in car crashes.

These clinics target auto accident victims by giving them the impression that the clinics work for a governmental agency or an insurance company. They may solicit victims by using telemarketers to set up appointments or by sending them messages via mail, email or text messages.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s Division of Consumer Affairs and the state’s attorney general offer these tips to avoid such scams:

• Scammers are likely to call victims within only a few hours or days of a car accident.
• These so-called “healthcare providers” have never interacted with the victim before.
• Telemarketers may claim to be from an insurance company, the government, a law enforcement agency or victim assistance group.

That’s why it’s important not to:

• Provide any identifying information from a caller claiming to be an insurance adjuster until you can call your insurance company and confirm the adjuster’s identity
• Respond to communications from healthcare providers who have never treated you who contact you shortly after an accident

Signs you are dealing with a car accident clinic

There are also other warning signs that a car accident clinic rather than an honest professional is involved when the provider:

• Tells you after one consultation that you will need many treatments
• Tries to convince you that your pain or condition is worse than it actually is
• Encourages you to lie to the insurance company so that it will cover your treatments
• Will not treat you unless you sign up with the clinic for all your treatments or ask you to sign up with one of their lawyers
• Claims you will not have to pay for any of the treatments and that the insurance company will cover the entire cost

If you are injured in an auto accident in Tennessee or Georgia, it is important that you get help from a reputable personal injury lawyer. The Epstein Law Firm in Chattanooga can arrange for your medical treatment and handle communications with the insurance company and others. Schedule a free consultation by calling us at 423-265-5100 or contacting us online.

By Valerie W. Epstein | Published November 30, 2018 | Posted in Auto Accidents | Tagged car accident clinic scams, targeting car accident victims, The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s Division of Consumer Affairs | Comments Off on Lawmakers Urge Tennessee Residents to Look Out for Car Accident Clinic Scams