A network of lawyers and their associates in New Orleans are accused of staging truck accidents to secure large insurance settlements, according to national and state news outlets. This case has exposed a significant issue with staged accidents in New Orleans, which has cost Louisiana drivers an estimated $600 per year in higher insurance premiums. These latest developments demonstrate a widespread issue within New Orleans, where personal injury lawyers exploit consumers for monetary gain.

Vanessa Motta, a New Orleans attorney, and Jason Giles of the King Firm, along with businessman Sean Alfortish, have been indicted in a federal investigation into a large-scale car accident fraud scheme. As The Guardian wrote, “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.”

According to New Orleans TV station WDSU, the investigation, named “Operation Sideswipe,” has led to the indictment of several others involved in at least six of the staged accidents and a murder. “Sources say the two are implicated in the death of a federal witness who was executed in 2020…Cornelius Garrison was gunned down in Gentilly in 2020, just days after he was charged with federal crimes for being a go-between for lawyers and those driving the vehicles used in the staged wrecks. Garrison was cooperating with the FBI and Department of Justice on this matter.”

WWL, a CBS affiliate in New Orleans, reported that “[s]o far, 49 out of 52 defendants have pleaded guilty in the sprawling case, 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.”