Spike in fake claims for 'slip and trip' accidents

Bogus liability claims have seen a huge surge. The number of people falsely trying to claim compensation for things like slipping over in a supermarket has gone up 75% in a year - making it the fastest growing form of insurance fraud.

The revelation comes from the Association of British Insurers, who said there were 19,800 false liability claims last year, as fraudsters look for new ways to cash in.
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Fraudsters

There have been some high profile would-be fraudsters caught out in recent months. In April, a woman from Lancashire admitted she had been trying to falsely claim £26,000 for tripping on a pothole on the forecourt of a shop in Preston.

She made a claim for a broken collarbone and injuries to her neck and shoulder. However, CCTV footage showed that nobody had fallen in that spot on the date she was making a claim for. The case then went to court where she admitted fraud and was handed an 18 week suspended sentence.

In December last year a man from Bradford received a 10 month suspended sentence for attempted fraud. He tried to claim £10,000 from slipping on a wet bakery bag in a supermarket. However, his case fell apart when CCTV footage showed that he had placed his shopping trolley next to the bag and then gradually eased himself to the floor, before flagging down a fellow shopper.

These fraudulent 'slip and trip' claims were dwarfed by fake claims for motor insurance, which were up 12% to 67,000, and remain the most common types of fraudulent claim. However, a clampdown on whiplash claims has seen many fraudsters turn their attention to liability fraud - which they hope will be a softer target.

Hunting the criminals

The ABI pointed out that the figures revealed that there's nothing soft about this target. Insurers are keener than ever to identify fraud, so any fake claims are more likely than ever to be uncovered. In fact, insurers uncover 350 insurance frauds worth £3.6 million every day - which is a record high for the industry.

James Dalton, ABI's Director of General Insurance Policy, said: "Insurance cheats are now more likely to get caught than ever before, whether they are making a dishonest claim or lying when applying for cover to get a cheaper premium, and face long-lasting and serious consequences. As well as the possibility of serving a custodial sentence, they will find it difficult to obtain vital financial services such as mortgages and loans, future job prospects are likely to be adversely impacted and family relationships suffer."

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