A New Orleans personal injury attorney is headed to federal prison for his part in Operation Sideswipe, the long-running staged-crash scheme that targeted tractor-trailers on Louisiana highways.

Danny Patrick Keating Jr., 57, was sentenced Oct. 15 to 32 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $657,000 in restitution. He admitted to paying an organizer to stage 31 crashes with trucks. He then represented the 77 people who claimed to be victims who came out of those wrecks.

31Staged truck crashes
77Fake plaintiffs represented
$1.5MCollected in settlements
63Defendants charged so far

The business model

The setup was simple. So-called "slammers" deliberately hit heavy trucks. Then a lawyer filed suit, claiming the trucker was at fault and the passengers were injured. Seventeen of Keating's cases settled, bringing in about $1.5 million. Keating's share in fees came to roughly $358,000.

How the scam turns a fake crash into cash
  1. 1The slamPaid driver cuts in and gets hit by a truck
  2. 2The "victims"Passengers claim injuries that never happened
  3. 3The lawsuitAttorney blames the trucker in court
  4. 4The payoutInsurer settles to avoid a jury trial
  5. 5The billCost spreads into every trucker's premium

According to federal prosecutors, the lawsuits lied about who was driving, who caused the crash, and who got hurt. Clients backed up those lies under oath in depositions.

Where the $1.5 million went
Clients & co-conspirators ~$1.14M
Attorney ~$358K

Based on figures from the federal indictment. Clients' share is estimated as the remainder.

Why this hits your wallet

Most owner-operators will never be targeted by a slammer. But every one of us pays for them.

Each fraudulent settlement feeds the claims data insurers use to price commercial auto coverage. When a carrier pays out $1.5 million on fake crashes, that cost doesn't disappear. It gets spread across premiums, and small operations with one or two trucks have the least room to absorb it.

That's why OOIDA has been pushing for the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act. Sen. Ashley Moody of Florida introduced the Senate version (S5058) in July, and Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia filed a House version in 2025. The bill would make staging a crash with a commercial motor vehicle a federal crime.

The case and the crackdown
  • Keating admits to paying for 31 staged crashes
  • House bill introduced by Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.)
  • Senate bill S5058 introduced by Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.)
  • Keating sentenced: 32 months, 3 years supervised release, $657K+ restitution

Protect yourself

You can't control who cuts in front of you, but you can control the evidence:

DashcamRun forward- and side-facing cameras. Video is the best defense against a staged claim.
DocumentPhotograph the vehicle, its occupants and the plates. Count how many people were in the car.
Stay quietDon't admit fault. Stick to the facts with police and your insurer.
WatchBe alert for sudden braking after a lane change, or a car that waves you over and then speeds up.

The fraud was elaborate, but it only works when the trucker can't prove what really happened. Make sure you can.

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana, via Land Line Media.