Insurance fraud is a crime which can be committed in many different ways. Both individuals and businesses have been known to defraud insurers, from the doctors and health care facilities that submit claims for services that were never provided or were unnecessary, to people who stage automobile accidents in order to obtain insurance money, and even to people who were involved in accidents that were not staged who exaggerate the extent of their damages. Insurance fraud can occur on both a small scale, involving individuals submitting fraudulent claims for relatively small sums of money to large scale operations involving thousands and thousands of dollars. Since there is a diverse array of ways in which insurance fraud can be committed, the people who are accused of insurance fraud are likewise a diverse group. If you are charged with insurance fraud, contact a Texas Criminal Defense Attorney right away, because a conviction could have serious consequences for you both now and in the future.

At its simplest, insurance fraud occurs when someone purposefully files an insurance claim that is based upon false information so that they will receive payment for damages that did not actually occur. Applications for insurance can also serve as a means for committing insurance fraud, if the application is filled out using information that is false or misleading. People who provide goods and services for which claims of payment are submitted to insurance companies may also be liable for insurance fraud if they file those claims with the intent to defraud or deceive an insurer.

Sometimes, an insurance claim may be based partially upon true information and partially upon false information. When this happens, it does still constitute insurance fraud, but only the amount which was claimed fraudulently will count towards determining the penalty. This is important, because penalties for insurance fraud are directly connected to the value of the fraudulent claim. Insurance fraud can be a misdemeanor, a state jail felony, or a first second or third degree felony, depending upon the dollar amount of the fraudulent claim and whether the fraudulent claim involved an act that placed anyone at risk of serious injury or death. Defendants who are convicted of insurance fraud are often ordered to pay restitution.

If you have been charged with insurance fraud, contact a criminal defense attorney right away, so that your rights can be protected. A knowledgeable Texas Criminal Defense Attorney can create a defense strategy that is tailored to the unique facts of your case. Texas Criminal Defense Attorneys understand that there may be choices available to some insurance fraud defendants, and they can let you to know if any of those options are available in your case. Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra has years of experience in representing his clients’ best interests, both inside and outside of the courtroom. To learn more, please call our office at (903) 753-7499 today, or visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you.