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Slip and falls accidents are the third most common cause of injury in the United States. They cost businesses and insurance companies alike about $70 billion annually through workers’ compensation claims and insurance claims. However, the ugly truth is that not all these accidents happen by unfortunate circumstances, and are in fact fraudulent claims.
What Is a Slip and Fall Scam?
A slip and fall scam usually involves an alleged “victim” and an alleged “witness” wherein the duo orchestrate an accident where the victim feigns a fall that causes an injury. These types of fraudsters typically target retailers, restaurants, and bars, and they disappear quickly right after receiving compensation for their injuries through slip and fall claims. It’s been discovered that the number of fraudulent slip and falls claims has been on a steady rise since the past decade. With this information in mind, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from fraudulent claims.
Are They Preventable?
Unfortunately, slip and fall fraud cannot be prevented, especially when you consider the difficulty of distinguishing it from legitimate claims. However, there are other ways that a business can protect itself.
Business Liability Insurance
Business liability insurance is an insurance type that businesses use to protect themselves against damage or injury claims. The amount that a policy covers depends on the type of business the policyholder is engaged in. This way, your insurance company shoulders the cost of liability instead of taking the funds from your own business’ coffers.
Regular Safety Checks
It’s also possible to avoid these types of fraud by making your business less appealing to fraudsters. You can do this by conducting regular safety checks and by immediately repairing any potential hazards such as uneven floors, faulty railings, and torn carpets. It’s also important to ensure that your outer areas are in good condition. You essentially rectify any potential hazards in your premises so that fraudsters don’t have any accident to orchestrate.
Install Video Surveillance
Video surveillance is also another deterrent, since any act of orchestrating an accident will be caught on camera, and when a claimant asserts that they were a victim of negligence by the business owner, they must present evidence to prove that the defendant was negligent in keeping their premises safe. Video evidence is a very compelling piece of evidence to present and it should raise suspicions when a claimant insists on foregoing a review of video evidence.
Furthermore, because establishments are required to post signs that their areas are being monitored by a video surveillance system, fraudsters are much less likely to attempt to stage an accident in that particular establishment.
Slip and fall fraud cases are very likely to continue to spike, especially when you consider the dire situation we all find ourselves in during the pandemic. Whether you’re a victim or a defendant, you should always seek help from lawyers like the ones from the Hasbrook law firm to represent your case. Foregoing a lawyer’s help in any legal matter is one of the worst ways you can sabotage yourself.
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