Those who are in charge of enforcing New Jersey’s insurance fraud laws have repeatedly signalled that they take these offenses seriously.
For instance, New Jersey has a dedicated Insurance Fraud Prosecutor who is in charge of investigating and then penalizing those who are suspected of insurance fraud.
A lot of activities can be considered criminal fraud in New Jersey
It may surprise some residents of this state just how broad New Jersey’s laws against insurance fraud are.
For example, most people could probably guess that staging an accident or intentionally burning down one’s property could lead to a fraud charge.
However, what people might not know is that relatively common activities, like exaggerating an injury or telling an insurance company that a repair or procedure will cost more than it actually does, can be criminal.
Even omitting mention of an accident when applying for automobile insurance or a worker’s failing to report that he or she has returned to work can lead to fraud charges.
The penalties for insurance fraud are significant
Of course, people should be honest with their insurance companies. The problem though is that many people simply are simply not familiar with the process of seeking insurance or filing a claim. Others may deal with an insurance company in a careless way that still falls far short of fraud.
In other words, well-meaning people could easily wind up wrongly accused of insurance fraud.
Depending on the circumstances, a sentence for insurance fraud can include a prison term of between 3 years and 10 years. Also, the laws are clear that for each fraudulent act, a person can receive a separate sentence.
By way of example, a doctor who submits 10 different fraudulent medical bills to a health insurance company arguably can be sent to jail for decades, since each bill could be a separate criminal act.
A person who faces an accusation of insurance fraud should not hesitate to discuss his or her case with an experienced criminal defense attorney.
