If you are a home or business owner, it is vital that you prevent and recognize a fake slip and fall claim so that you don’t end up compensating someone for fake injuries.
It is estimated that nearly 40,000 people in 2019 died from slip and fall accidents at work and at home. Judging from these estimates, it is safe to assume that slip and fall accidents are responsible for a significant amount of death and injury in the United States.
Unfortunately, there are malicious people out there who are willing to fake their injuries just so as to defraud someone of their money. Approximately 6,500 suspicious claims are filed every year. It’s no surprise that scammers are willing to fake a slip-and-fall injury to steal from homeowners or business insurance policies with no consequences.
Unfortunately, fraudulent claims make it hard for legitimate injury victims to resolve their claims without challenges. Additionally, insurance companies usually increase premiums for policyholders once they make a payment out to the injured party.
Even though you cannot prevent every fake slip and fall claim, you can take measures to protect yourself and your business by working with your insurer to identify and dismiss such claims.
How to spot a fake slip and fall accident
It’s not easy to differentiate between someone who is genuinely hurt in a slip and fall accident and a faker. However, there are some telltale signs that you should look out for and they include:
- They are more concerned about blaming you for not maintaining the premises than they are with dealing with the injuries
- They refused medical attention and they do not provide proof of treatment for their injuries during negotiation with your insurance company
- There were no witnesses or the accident happened in a place that doesn’t have any monitoring equipment such as cameras
- Witnesses give an overzealous account of how the accident happened. Take note that some fraudsters work in groups with some acting as witnesses and one person acting as the victim.
How to protect yourself from fake slip and fall injury claims
One of the best ways to stop fake injury claims is by installing cameras on your premises. Unfortunately, as a homeowner, a surveillance system might be quite costly for you and you might not even think of installing it in the first place. The good news is that electronic equipment has become cheaper and many homeowners are installing internet-connected doorbells that record videos outside their front doors. There are also several other ways that you can install surveillance equipment in your home.
You should, however, be cautious when installing home security surveillance. You might have the right to record your own home and its surroundings but your guests expect to have privacy in some of the areas in your house such as the bathroom. It might also be illegal to capture what is happening on your neighbor’s premises.
If you are a business owner, you can make it hard for scammers to stage fake accidents by setting up your staff in a way that they can monitor the premises effectively. For example, if there are areas that cameras are not able to capture you should have one of your staff members positioned in that area. The idea here is to take away any opportunity for a scammer to stage an accident and file a fake slip and fall injury claim.
What should you do if a slip-and-fall injury claim is made against you?
Inform your insurance company
Your policy most likely requires that you notify your insurance company of a potential claim as soon as possible even if the claim is fake. If you don’t report a claim in a timely manner there’s a high chance the insurer will deny it.
Be wary of any lawsuits
Until you receive any legal paperwork, you should continue working with your insurance company to resolve the claim. If you wind up in a lawsuit, your insurance company will have connections to an experienced slip and fall lawyers in New Bedford who will come to your defense.
Speak with a qualified New Bedford slip and fall lawyer
If you believe you are the victim of a fake slip and fall scam you should speak with a qualified slip and fall lawyer in New Bedford to evaluate your case. At Kevin P Landry Law Offices, we offer free consultations and case evaluations. Contact us today at 508-999-0800 to schedule your free initial consultation.
