"The number of crashes there had nearly tripled in a little more than a decade. The odds of that many incidents, occurring with such similar details, would be one in seven hundred and fifty trillion."
"So-called 'slammers' were enlisted to wilfully sideswipe speeding trucks, so that personal-injury lawyers could sue for the insurance. The more people in the car, the more money could be made all around."
"In poor, predominantly Black neighborhoods, slammers and passengers alike were volunteering for 'what was effectively Russian roulette,' risking their own lives and the lives of their loved ones in the hope of a modest payout."
In 2015, a stretch of Interstate 10 near New Orleans experienced a surge in accidents involving trucks and cars, with no apparent hazards. Investigations revealed a scheme where 'slammers' intentionally collided with trucks to enable personal-injury lawsuits. Lawyers incentivized these actions, offering payments per passenger. Many participants, driven by financial desperation, risked their lives for potential payouts. The situation highlighted the exploitation of vulnerable communities, where individuals engaged in dangerous activities for the hope of financial gain, often leading to unnecessary medical procedures.
Read at The New Yorker
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