Eleven defendants formed part of an alleged organized scheme to stage traffic accidents around Alicante and San Vicente del Raspeig. They denied the charges at the first hearing held in the Provincial Court this week, the proceedings aimed at securing compensation from insurance companies. After multiple suspensions of the trial and withdrawals by several insurers, the defendants faced potential sentences ranging from 11 months to 2 years for criminal simulation and procedural fraud. The case highlights the tension between fraud investigations and the legitimate needs of accident victims, as authorities seek to deter false claims while preserving access to legitimate compensation for genuine injuries.
The prosecution, along with the Mapfre insurance group, presents the indictment. The claim is supported by the participating attorney Ignacio Madrona, who represents Mapfre in the proceedings. The case also involves four individuals connected to a regional union, Alcoyan Union, with lead counsel Pablo Soriano directing the action against ten of the defendants. The defendants offered only brief responses to questions from their defense lawyers, aiming to refute claims that they had manufactured car crashes to obtain insurance payouts.
During testimony, several defendants asserted that they had received compensation for injuries, while others maintained that they had not accepted any money at all. Insurers, however, allege that more than 40,000 euros were paid out in relation to a dozen incidents dating back more than a decade. The financial stakes underscore the seriousness with which institutions treat questionable claims and the consequences for those found participating in fraudulent activity.
Family relations
In the investigative narrative, some participants are alleged to have familial or friendship ties that facilitated the coordination of false accident reports. Prosecutors claim that these relationships were exploited to obtain compensation from insurance companies by submitting fraudulent accident documentation.
One incident under investigation dates to October 2013 in San Vicente del Raspeig. According to the prosecutor, a defendant, together with his minor son and two other defendants, reported severe injuries when the son’s motorcycle was allegedly struck from behind by a car in December of that year. Mapfre, however, was able to exonerate itself in a misdemeanor case because independent evidence could not substantiate the accident as described.
The charges allege that injuries were exaggerated or staged when a car allegedly collided with the toddler’s motorcycle. The prosecutor notes that police intervention did not occur despite the severity of the injuries. Mapfre seeks compensation around 3,475 euros to recover rehabilitation costs for the injured party, arguing that those costs reflect the claimed damages from the incident.
Police investigation
The alleged irregularities emerged during the ongoing police inquiry into suspected insurance fraud through accident simulation. Representatives from La Unión Alcoyana have proposed paying the company around 40,000 euros in compensation, while Mapfre seeks more than 5,000 euros, and the Prosecutor’s Office calls for 3,475 euros in coverage. The insurer Mapfre asserts that the alleged fraud involved eight crashes between 2007 and 2014, whereas La Unión Alcoyana flagged irregularities in three suspected simulations between 2010 and 2014. Compensation from insurers reportedly flowed to both drivers and passengers in the affected vehicle groups.
Beyond denying any simulation of accidents, the defendants also stated they did not know the other drivers involved in the incidents. The case, still unfolding, raises questions about how insurance systems assess and verify claims and how investigators determine whether injuries and vehicle damage are genuine. Attribution for the alleged acts points to coordinated efforts across private individuals and company-backed associates seeking improper financial gains. The implications touch on the integrity of insurance programs and the measures necessary to protect the public from fraudulent activity.