SalSon Slashes Insurance Claims By Revolutionizing Accident Prevention and Response
“I used to pay $500,000 for a wreck the driver swore was not his fault, but I had no choice without the evidence,”
“It was excruciating, and I had a feeling some of my drivers were telling me the truth, but we were stuck.” – John Lampasona
3 ROI STATS
Logistics Leader Turns to AI-Powered Vestige to Transform Safety Culture
SalSon Logistics slashes insurance claims by revolutionizing accident prevention and response
NEWARK — John Lampasona is a commercial fleet insurer’s new best friend.
His logistics firm has also quietly become an insurance fraudster’s worst nightmare.
And thanks to his AI-powered Vestige camera system, he is setting a new standard for safety across the long-haul trucking industry while driving greater profitability into his decades-old business that was long plagued by six-figure insurance settlements.
A decade ago, SalSon Logistics was spending millions each year to settle accident claims associated with its 750 trucks running routes across North America — $9 million approximately in 2017.
It was cutting into his profits, stressing his relationship with drivers, and frustrating his company’s ability to serve their clients, including some of the finest names in pharmaceutical distribution.
A fortunate introduction on the golf course a few years ago with a Vestige safety consultant introduced Lampasona to a powerful new program that promised to transform the way his team managed safety.
By the time they reached the back nine, the two had sketched out a road safety camera plan that would revolutionize the logistics firm’s approach to safety and send fraudsters scurrying back into the shadows.
Today, his drivers are protected from the false claims racket by AI-powered cameras that feed a command center with real-time data that his team translates into instant coaching and safety management that has transformed their culture and bolstered their bottom line.
And when an accident occurs, the authorities have instant video footage that has exonerated many drivers who would otherwise be defending themselves empty handed.
Last year, his accident claims total wouldn’t be enough to buy a starter home near the firm’s New Jersey headquarters. The number of accidents fell from hundreds in 2017 to dozens in 2024 and his payouts were less than $200,000.
SalSon Logistics is a leading third-party logistics provider offering comprehensive supply chain management solutions from port to store shelf.
Founded in 1960, the company operates over 1 million square feet of warehousing space and maintains a dedicated fleet of 750 trucks, 1,200 chassis, and 1,200 trailers.
With terminals near major East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, SalSon emphasizes asset-based operations, agility, and a problem-solving attitude to expedite product delivery and enhance supply chain efficiency.
Lampasona started the company decades ago and leveraged a strategy around owning the assets associated with the business to drive down operating costs and, over the long term, increase profitability.
“We wanted to be asset rich and kept investing back into the business to build this company as strong as it could be,” he said.
“Now the insurers are begging for my business and when they see how we run our safety team with Vestige and all the AI driving our safety through the roof, I get them to compete to cover my fleet,”
“We have great drivers here, we invest in making them even better and we stand behind them with technology like the Vestige cameras and a safety team who has their back in real time,” he said.
“We aren’t going to hang our people out to dry and we’re going to fight back when these fraud teams are targeting our people.”
His plan worked brilliantly for years, until a threat emerged that drove risk and uncertainty into every mile.
Accidents were piling up, and some of them were not legit.
He appreciated that a certain number of accidents were statistically unavoidable, but the numbers were stacking up against his gut feeling of the statistically unavoidable.
And his drivers were screaming foul, protesting other driver’s accounts of the accident and were stuck in an impossible circumstance of contesting a version of events with law enforcement who are often biased against big trucks.
So, he presented his newfound problem-solving camera expert at Vestige a challenge: deliver us a real-time solution that will allow my team at headquarters to review accidents moment after they happen.
“The driver was at fault, so be it. That’s why we have insurance and training programs and opportunities for our drivers to improve,” Lampasona explained.
Vestige delivered and the real-time camera views transformed their approach to safety and accident response overnight.
Lampasona cited two specific recent examples of accident response that has saved his firm thousands of dollars and untold hours of stressful accident follow up.
In the first incident, one of his best drivers with more than 18 years of experience and an impeccable safety record rear ended a driver on the Interstate. Authorities were poised to issue the driver a citation and open the door to potential six-figure settlement.
But his safety team gathered discreetly in their Newark, New Jersey headquarters had other plans. They reviewed the video and found the driver came to a full stop out of nowhere from 70 mph on the interstate, for no reason.
Nothing obstructed the road, and there was no traffic to justify her full stop.
The video was shared with law enforcement, and the driver left the scene with his sterling reputation intact.
Trusted Safety Partners
SalSon built a powerful command center that monitors drivers randomly from its New Jersey headquarters. This simple practice is rooted in a well-established psychological phenomenon known as the Hawthorn Effect.
Born out of study of industrial workers a century ago, the Hawthorn Effect says that worker performance will improve when they’re aware they’re being monitored. While it may seem like common sense to our contemporary sensibilities, the idea of monitoring employees for performance was transformative in workplace performance improvement programs.
But until recently, the technical challenge and associated high costs made this impossible in a commercial vehicle.
But the advent of high-grade, low-cost commercial vehicle cameras paired with lower costs for data transmission and cloud data storage, and an innovative firm like Vestige was able to deliver a system that revolutionized the opportunities for firms like SolSan to improve drivers’ performance.
“It’s completely changed how we think about safety and how we train our drivers, because the training never stops. We’ve got a commitment to being the safest trucks on the road, and its impact on our insurance rates and profitability is indisputable.”
Not only are their drivers aware that they can be monitored at any moment.
But they know a watchful, never-wavering Artificial Intelligence-powered eye is keeping watch for the common driver-controlled threats, allowing the command center to call out drivers in real-time for distracted driving and fatigued drivers. Even consistent lane straddling can be corrected in real-time.
In the second instance, a driver tried to pass a SalSon Logistics truck on the shoulder and spun the vehicle into an accident.
The driver was ready to climb into an ambulance when the real-time video was delivered to law enforcement on the scene.
“All of a sudden the driver was climbing out of the ambulance, and we saved ourselves from what could have been a $500,000 claim that, frankly, I would have had to pay without the camera evidence,” he said. “It’s hard to fight these accidents when you’re flying blind.”
“But now my eyes are open, and I can see clearly”
The AI assist: How Artificial Intelligence is changing road safety
Driving a long-haul truck, or any multi-ton commercial vehicle is a dangerous proposition on the best of days. The threats are many, and most drivers sharing the roads likely aren’t considering these when they interact with commercial drivers.
From road rage and foul weather to mechanical failures in difficult locations and cargo theft, the external threats are profound and difficult to forecast, let alone combat.
Add to this the possibility of a medical emergency far from home, the stress of long hours alone and the exposure compliance and legal risks, and commercial drivers are faced with a litany of challenges that make the job among the most stressful in our economy.
But some of the risks are far more controllable than others, especially fatigued or distracted drivers. Dangerous driving like harsh braking, dangerous turns or aggressive accelerations are also leading indicators of a driver not invested in safety as a default setting.
Vestige’s safety cameras blend real-time visibility available on the Vestige mobile app or from any computer and the power of artificial intelligence to instantly identify these threats, alerting drivers and command center safety officers alike.
Combating the Staged Accident Threat: Real-Time Footage
Lampasona said there are many more threats on the road than sleepy drivers or cell phone distractions.
Over the past few years, a significant threat has emerged in the form of criminals — and the attorneys they rely on – who are upending insurance models and driving volatility into businesses like Salson Logistics.
Staged accidents—deliberate collisions orchestrated to defraud insurance companies—pose a significant threat to commercial drivers.
These schemes not only endanger lives but also impose substantial financial burdens on the trucking industry and consumers alike.
The Mechanics of Staged Accidents: Well-Orchestrated and Multi Player
Common tactics include the “swoop and squat,” where a vehicle abruptly cuts in front of a truck and brakes suddenly, causing a rear-end collision. Another method is the “wave-in,” where a driver signals a truck to merge and then intentionally crashes into it, later denying the signal.
Such orchestrated incidents often involve multiple conspirators, including drivers, passengers, medical professionals, and attorneys, all aiming to file fraudulent injury and damage claims.
Federal authorities are starting to fight back, but the threat is bigger than even a team of federal authorities can tackle.
Impact on Commercial Drivers: Even greater stress
Commercial drivers, especially those operating large trucks, are prime targets due to their substantial insurance coverage.
These fraudulent claims can lead to increased insurance premiums, legal complications, and even the loss of operating licenses. In some cases, innocent drivers face criminal charges or civil liabilities stemming from these staged events.
In short, this practice is destroying businesses and the lives of hardworking, innocent workers.
“When con artists seeking a big payday intentionally collide with commercial motor vehicles, their reckless disregard for safety puts innocent truck drivers and the motoring public at risk. These unscrupulous individuals perpetuate their selfish actions by filing frivolous lawsuits against honest trucking companies, raising costs for consumer goods and contributing to soaring insurance premiums,”
American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom
said in a recent press release from the office of Representatives Mike Collins (GA-10).
Financial and Safety Implications
The financial toll of staged accidents is staggering.
The FBI estimates that such fraud costs the insurance industry billions annually, expenses that inevitably trickle down to consumers through higher premiums. Beyond the monetary impact, these schemes compromise road safety, placing unsuspecting drivers and passengers at risk of injury or death.
But fleet safety leaders like Lampasona are fighting back with technology like the Vestige cameras that capture the staged accidents and allow law enforcement investigators instant access to the footage that can exonerate commercial drivers on the spot.
Legislative and Enforcement Responses
Recognizing the severity of the issue, lawmakers have introduced measures like the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act, aiming to classify the intentional staging of vehicle accidents as a federal crime.
This legislation seeks to deter such fraudulent activities by imposing stricter penalties on perpetrators. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are actively investigating and prosecuting individuals involved in these schemes, highlighting the government’s commitment to combating this form of fraud.
“It’s wonderful to see authorities taking this problem head on and we’re pleased to play our role in helping drivers and fleet managers like SalSon protect themselves with our simple and affordable fleet camera solution,” said Twain McDougal, General Manager, Vestige. “We’ve seen the evidence in working with our customers of this devastating practice and are committed to being part of the solution.”
Preventative Measures for Drivers: Plus camera technology
To protect themselves, commercial drivers should maintain vigilance on the road, utilize dashcams to record driving incidents, and report any suspicious activities to authorities.
Engaging in defensive driving practices and staying informed about common fraud tactics can also serve as effective deterrents against becoming a victim of staged accidents, authorities say.
Lampasona credits his commitment to working with the Vestige technology and the U.S.-based support and development team behind it with keeping his team one-step ahead of these dangerous fraud operations.
“We’re not going to give up or give in,” he said.
“We’re fighting back and letting these jerks know we’ve got a business to run and employees to protect and these Vestige cameras are making it happen every day for our team.”
Vestige Fleet Multi-Cameras & GPS Tracking Features
Vestige Fleet Multi-Cameras & GPS Tracking Features
With Vestige, you can install up to eight HD dash cams on each vehicle. The cameras will be placed all around the vehicle, including one monitoring the driver’s actions, giving you a full view of everything that is happening.
Live Video Streaming
With our 4G LTE remote connection, you can access live high-quality video footage of everything the cameras capture. This integrated video solution lets you track performances easily and check for any unsafe driving behaviors that need improvement.
Cloud-based Video Portal
All video recordings will be retrievable from the cloud for 90 days. You have easy access to video clips for a post-incident analysis, making performance tracking more streamlined. You can also access additional video evidence for an accident in the portal, allowing you to protect your business from liability claims with video proof.
Automatic Video Uploads and Alerts
Vestige allows you to create notifications for vehicle accidents and other harsh driving events. You can get alerts within minutes of an unsafe event. The event video file will be uploaded to the cloud right away, allowing you to watch it anytime you want with on-demand video retrieval.
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