Fraudulent Slip-and-Fall Claims Edge Even Higher in 2011
By Alan Schafer, Thomson Reuters
06 Jun 2012
According to National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) data, “questionable” slip-and-fall claims in 2011 remained high – now up over 40% since 2008. Perhaps related to the recession, questionable claims increased dramatically in 2009 and have remained high ever since.
NICB’s May 8 press release touts a 12% increase in 2011 versus 2010 that could be due to timing of when claims are reported, the press release also highlights the under-reporting of the issue. Often, it may be easier for smaller shopkeepers to pay a few hundred dollars to make the issue “go away” quickly, rather than investigate more fully and potentially face litigation. This just invites further fraud. As seen in this recent television newscast, surveillance video can be helpful in catching fraudsters red-handed. Further details about questionable slip-and-fall claims are found in NICB reports issued in Spring 2012 and in Summer 2010.
