Dubious slip-and-fall claims jump 12 percent

05/09/2012

Professional liability insurance may give business owners the financial protection they need should they be sued by someone who sustains an injury while on their property but a considerable number of claims made against businesses are fraudulent.<br/><br/>According to the National Crime Insurance Bureau, the number of questionable slip-and-fall claims filed last year totaled 2,168. That&#39;s up from 1,944 referrals in 2010, which translates to a rise of 12 percent.<br/><br/>The report also indicated where these questionable claims tended to arise. California led the way at 667, while Florida finished a distant second at 286. New York, Texas and Illinois rounded out the top five at 280, 245 and 230, respectively. Among cities, most questionable claims came from New York City.<br/><br/>While the majority of fraudulent claims targeted large businesses, the report also found that small retail operators were targeted as well, often in the form of a fraudster faking an injury, then returning to the store to inform the shopkeeper of the medical costs they had to pay. Wanting to avoid bad publicity or a legal fight, store owners frequently pay the bill in an attempt to be done with it.