[ql06] CRIMINAL: Bus accident scam
- From: "Ken Campbell" <2kc16@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ql06@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 07:22:15 -0500
While this sort of scam has not been touched upon in CRIMINAL (it has
slightly in CONTRACT, you may remember the section on "punitive damages"
and the Whiten v. Pilot Insurance case), it is just too unbelievable not
to pass along.
What a mastermind, this James Mark Allen, operator of the Centre for
Accident and Injury Rehabilitation. Quite a make-work project (if true).
I sure know who to call if I need a "medical specialist" in my personal
injury practice...
Ken.
--
Wit is cultured insolence.
-- Aristotle
--- cut here ---
No TTC payout for fake accident
Fender-bender prearranged
44 passengers in on scam, police say
BETSY POWELL
CRIME REPORTER
TORONTO STAR
Oct. 31, 2003
A "minor" fender-bender between a rented truck and a TTC bus last month
on Dawes Rd. was actually a staged accident involving 44 passengers who
police say were all inside players in an elaborate insurance scam.
So far seven people have been charged, including four alleged
"ringleaders," but all 44 could face charges after filing accident
claims for the "usual" kinds of injuries linked to such scams, including
"soft tissue, neck, back injuries, headaches, a lot of the typical
subjective type of injury claims," Brian Leck, general legal counsel for
the Toronto Transit Commission, said yesterday.
Police allege someone recruited two men to enlist people to get on the
bus on Sept. 7 for $100. "The $100 was sort of the ante-up in a poker
game. They get on with the potential down the road for a much greater
financial benefit," said Detective Derek Young, the investigating
officer who works out of 54 Division. The driver of the truck was also
in on the con, police say.
"People at the Main Street station would have seen a large group of
people forming and we believe the orchestrators of this would have been
directing them to get on a certain bus," Young said. "We're asking
witnesses at the station or other passengers to contact police."
The bus then travelled up Dawes Rd. and at 7:51 p.m. it stopped and was
rear-ended by a rented U-Haul vehicle, Leck said. The damage to both
vehicles "was basically non-existent, there's some minor scrapes to the
back bumper of the bus, and maybe a little bit of scraping on the front
of the U-Haul."
When the insurance claims started pouring in, "we took a position right
from the outset that this was a phony accident." Because of that, the
TTC did not make any payouts.
Fuelling suspicion was the high volume of passengers on the bus, Leck
added. Normally there would be between 30 and 45 and on that Sunday
evening there were up to 95 on board. "Not uncoincidentally, 40 or 45
people claimed to be injured, so that gives rise to certain inferences."
Nine people were taken to hospital.
Facing numerous fraud-related charges are James Mark Allen, 37, of
Gormley, who operates two injury rehabilitation centres called Centre
for Accident and Injury Rehabilitation at 3443 Finch Ave. E. and 350
Rutherford Rd. in Brampton. Said Juma Issa, 22, of Toronto and
Abdulkarim Karim Abdulkarim, 28, of Toronto and Donald Harris, 29 of
Malton, are also charged with fraud.
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