Investigators Probing Slip And Fall Accident Scam
Investigators in Wisconsin and Illinois are looking into a widespread slip and fall accident fraud involving at least 60 claims.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the scam was easy to operate. The fraudsters worked in groups, and while one person placed liquid or paper on the floor of a retail store, another person would step on it, slip and fall. A third person would act as a lookout to ensure that store employees remained unaware of the accident. They would then file a claim for a slip and fall accident resulting in an average payout of between $4,000 to 8,000. The scam involved 33 people who seem to have filed at least 60 fraudulent claims with 16 insurance companies that targeted big retailers in Illinois and Wisconsin between August of 2005 and February of this year.
Insurance investigators initiated a probe after they began to notice frequent and suspicious claims. Officials at Zurich North America have said that they worked with postal inspectors to unravel the scam. According to officials at Zurich North America in Schaumburg, the con artists would strike as often as three times a day. A US attorney has been assigned to the case, and so far, no arrests have been made. The con artists filed the case under the retailer's medical payment policy, meaning that they had compensation checks directly mailed to the clinic.
According to Steve Bernas, who is the president and chief executive officer of Better Business Bureau, he has seen an increased number of scams with the economic recession. In fact, Bernas says that the number of frauds he sees right now are much higher than at any previous time in the 22 years he's been with the Better Business Bureau.
California premises liability lawyers constantly represent victims injured in a slip and fall accident and other premises liability claims. News of this fraud is extremely distressing. Premises liability lawyers frequently come across people who have been seriously injured with fractured bones, head injuries and back injuries through unsafe conditions in retail stores, hotels, malls and other public areas. These people deserved to be rightfully compensated for the injuries, and when scammers pull a fast one on the authorities, it makes it that much harder for genuine victims to obtain the justice they deserve.
A slip and fall accident is just one way a person can be injured on another person's premises. However, this is the most common mode of injury. Premises owners are required to make sure that walking surfaces are slip resistant, spaces are well illuminated and that stairways and other areas are safe to use. There must be adequate guardrails and hand rails to prevent accidental falls, and any spills must be mopped immediately. Store shelves must be stacked safely to prevent goods from toppling over.
Besides slip and fall accidents, premises owners are also required to reasonably secure their premises, and help prevent the possibility of violent assaults and rapes on visitors, guests, shoppers, patients, diners and other people on the premises.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the scam was easy to operate. The fraudsters worked in groups, and while one person placed liquid or paper on the floor of a retail store, another person would step on it, slip and fall. A third person would act as a lookout to ensure that store employees remained unaware of the accident. They would then file a claim for a slip and fall accident resulting in an average payout of between $4,000 to 8,000. The scam involved 33 people who seem to have filed at least 60 fraudulent claims with 16 insurance companies that targeted big retailers in Illinois and Wisconsin between August of 2005 and February of this year.
Insurance investigators initiated a probe after they began to notice frequent and suspicious claims. Officials at Zurich North America have said that they worked with postal inspectors to unravel the scam. According to officials at Zurich North America in Schaumburg, the con artists would strike as often as three times a day. A US attorney has been assigned to the case, and so far, no arrests have been made. The con artists filed the case under the retailer's medical payment policy, meaning that they had compensation checks directly mailed to the clinic.
According to Steve Bernas, who is the president and chief executive officer of Better Business Bureau, he has seen an increased number of scams with the economic recession. In fact, Bernas says that the number of frauds he sees right now are much higher than at any previous time in the 22 years he's been with the Better Business Bureau.
California premises liability lawyers constantly represent victims injured in a slip and fall accident and other premises liability claims. News of this fraud is extremely distressing. Premises liability lawyers frequently come across people who have been seriously injured with fractured bones, head injuries and back injuries through unsafe conditions in retail stores, hotels, malls and other public areas. These people deserved to be rightfully compensated for the injuries, and when scammers pull a fast one on the authorities, it makes it that much harder for genuine victims to obtain the justice they deserve.
A slip and fall accident is just one way a person can be injured on another person's premises. However, this is the most common mode of injury. Premises owners are required to make sure that walking surfaces are slip resistant, spaces are well illuminated and that stairways and other areas are safe to use. There must be adequate guardrails and hand rails to prevent accidental falls, and any spills must be mopped immediately. Store shelves must be stacked safely to prevent goods from toppling over.
Besides slip and fall accidents, premises owners are also required to reasonably secure their premises, and help prevent the possibility of violent assaults and rapes on visitors, guests, shoppers, patients, diners and other people on the premises.
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