Tips For Reducing Your Appeal To Slip And Fall Scammers
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, there was a 57-percent increase in the number of dubious slip and fall claims submitted to insurance providers between 2008 and 2010. Because of the nature of these types of accidents, it's often very easy for scammers to fake them and make money by submitting claims (or filing lawsuits) for phony injuries. Possibly the best way to avoid having your business fall victim to this type of scam is to make your company unappealing to con artists. Here are a few things you can do to achieve this.
Install Video Cameras
The simplest and easiest thing you can do to protect yourself is to install surveillance cameras on your property. The cameras can provide clear and indisputable evidence of wrongdoing that may result in a denial of false claims as well as criminal charges brought against perpetrators. While this won't deter everyone from attempting a slip and fall scam, most people will think twice about pulling the con if they know they're being filmed.
However, you need to make sure the cameras and the footage they capture cannot be tampered with by scammers or others who may be helping them. Get tamper-proof equipment, and make sure the video data is being stored in a secured area. A security expert can provide some assistance with choosing and installing a surveillance system that meets your needs.
Implement Effective Safety and Accident Prevention Measures
In addition to creating their own opportunities for false claims (e.g. pouring water on the floor and "slipping" in it), slip and fall scammers will exploit existing safety hazards to their benefit. For example, last year, a Pennsylvania attorney was caught paying people to find safety hazards (such as uneven pavement) in wealthy neighborhoods and stage accidents. He would then file false insurance claims on the alleged victims' behalf. The entire scheme netted him about $382,000 before he was caught.
It's essential to implement preventative measures that minimize the ability of opportunistic scammers to take advantage of you. Conduct a weekly inspection of the grounds and have any problems fixed immediately. Ensure you have the appropriate equipment on hand for cleaning up spills and clearly marking hazardous areas. Train your employees on how to respond to incidents in ways that help them collect relevant evidence as well as avoid implicating your company in any way.
Litigate All False Slip and Fall Claims
Some companies have a policy of settling slip and falls claims even if there is evidence the person committed fraud. Many times the company take this route because they believe litigating the claim would be more expensive or lead to a lot of bad press that may have a negative impact on their business as a whole.
While this is understandable, this tactic only makes your company look more delicious to potential scammers. People who commit slip and fall fraud are looking for easy scores and bank on companies settling before the cases see the inside of courtrooms. If they know your business has a policy of settling claims no matter what, they'll come after you rather than take their chances with a more diligent company.
At a minimum, you should have a policy of investigating every claim. Your insurance company will typically do this for you if the person submitted a claim directly to the provider. If the person is suing you in court, then you should take time to do a few potentially scam-busting things such as:
- Investigate if the person has submitted claims to your company or neighboring businesses previously
- Request the person get reexamined by a neutral medical expert to confirm diagnosis or injuries
- Track down the claimant's social media accounts and investigate for indications of fraud
- Have any pictures and documents submitted tested for authenticity (e.g. have a photo expert look at medical pictures for signs of alterations made using an image manipulation program like Photoshop)
Stopping scammers from taking advantage of you is one of the best ways to keep your insurance premiums low. For more information about slip and fall scams or for assistance with defending against a claim, contact an attorney from a site like http://www.putnamlieb.com in your area.
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