Fort Smith couple convicted of posing as lawyers again to exploit car accident victims

FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Fort Smith couple was found guilty of unauthorized practice of law on May 6.

According to a press release from attorney Joey McCutchen, Leigh Ann “Annie” Saffer and David Saffer misrepresented themselves as “accident specialists” and exploited victims seeking assistance after car accidents.

Leigh Ann Saffer was arrested May 1 and charged with two class D felonies for violating the Fraudulent Insurance Act.

The release says Leigh Ann Saffer fabricated an insurance claim under the alias “Annie Little,” falsely representing herself as an insurance employee, coercing people into making payments directly to her and making threats to coerce people into complying with her demands for payment.

“This is a widespread problem across the state. Not only do these deceptive practices exploit vulnerable people, but they also drive up our insurance rates. It’s time we put a stop to these deceptive practices immediately,” McCutchen said.

The release says the Saffers frequently solicited businesses for “Arkansas Chiropractic Group” in Fort Smith. The Saffers office is across the street from The Arkansas Chiropractic Group office.

According to the release, several victims testified in the trial that they were repeatedly solicited by the Saffers, who offered them unauthorized legal advice on how to handle their personal injury claims.

The release says they face a class D felony if they engage in the unauthorized practice of law in the future.

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