Two New Orleans law firms charged with staging accidents for settlements [View all]

Assholes like this are why our car insurance premiums are so high.


Two New Orleans law firms charged with staging accidents for settlements
Federal indictment, more than five years in the making, claims attorneys and firms collected millions of dollars
Michael Perlstein of WWL Louisiana in New Orleans
Mon 9 Dec 2024 16.37 EST


In a blockbuster federal indictment more than five years in the making, two New Orleans-based law firms and their attorneys who specialize in car accident claims have been charged with several others for their roles in staging wrecks, faking injuries and collecting millions of dollars in lawsuit settlements.

Among those indicted on Monday is a television stuntwoman-turned-attorney named Vanessa Motta, who in May had two clients criminally charged with helping orchestrate the 2020 shooting death of another client of hers. The slain client of Motta – who was indicted along with her namesake firm – had been cooperating in the federal investigation that produced Monday’s indictment.

Motta’s fiance, disbarred attorney Sean Alfortish who spent time in prison over unrelated fraud charges, was also included in the indictment for his alleged role in the conspiracy: paying the people who stage the accidents, known as “slammers”, to ram into 18-wheelers intentionally. As recently as 22 November, a horse Alfortish trains won a race at the New Orleans Fair Grounds racecourse.

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So far, 49 out of 52 defendants have pleaded guilty in the sprawling investigation codenamed Operation Sideswipe, mostly low-level participants who admitted packing into cars and participating in a scheme for a quick payoff. Some defendants have admitted not only faking their injuries but also going as far as getting major back and neck surgeries to increase their chances of a jackpot settlement.

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/09/new-orleans-law-firms-staging-accidents-settlements