ICU Information Network

Posts Tagged ‘liability’

It is estimated that three percent of slip and fall injuries are fraudulent. (National Floor Safety Institute)   False injury claims in conjunction with litigation costs can reach approximately $2 billion dollars a year.  (www.insurancefraud.org)

In 2003, a New Jersey man was charged with fraud in a slip in and fall scam.  The injuries had supposedly been sustained during a 1999 bus trip on an Elizabeth bus route.  He submitted over $6, 000 in false claims.  He was ordered to pay restitution to Sedgwick Claims Service and Aetna/ US Healthcare and was placed on three years probation.  (www.njinsurancefraud.org)  In 1999, another case was that of Ernest Woodson, a Vineland man, who used 7 aliases, making 21 phony claims in a period of a little over 1 year.  He attempted to obtain close to $32,000 in insurance claims from 19 different establishments.  He pled guilty to theft and fraud charges.  He was ordered to pay restitution for the $9,000 that he ended up finally collecting and faces up to a 1 year in prison.  (www.njgov/lps, New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety)

There are many cases ongoing throughout the country involving organized fraud rings and repeat offenders.  According to a case in Pennsylvania, there were six involved in a long running slip and fall scam targeting several restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, bars and laundry mats.  They would all “witness” the accidents of one another and use fake names and addresses to have the insurance checks mailed to.  They are all facing various charges. (www.insurancejournal.com)  There was another slip and fall fraud ring developed in Florida.   Michael Evans of Hollywood had used several aliases while submitting claims for fake slip and fall occurrences all over the country.  There were four other members of his family involved in this crime ring.  He has been charged with many different charges including theft, racketeering and organized fraud.  (www.claimsjournal.com)