industry focus
Insurance industry records spike in bogus slip and trip claims
The compensation claim culture reached a new high after a report revealed that the number of insurance liability frauds - including so-called 'slip and trip' accidents - jumped by 75% last year.
In total there were 19,800 cases of bogus liability claims, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) report said.
Total insurance fraud rose by 9% in the year to December 2014, and was worth £1.32bn, but one of the fastest-growing crimes was fraudulent claims for injury, supposedly as a result of negligence.
In one case, a man from Bradford, UK tried to claim £10,000 in damages for slipping on a wet bakery bag in a supermarket.
The man said he hurt his head and body after falling down in one of the aisles, but CCTV footage used in evidence by the Police helped to prove that he had slipped deliberately.
The 37-year-old man was given a 10 month suspended prison sentence in December 2014.
In another case, a man claimed to have suffered a broken ankle after supposedly catching his foot in a drain on Tyneside, UK but a YouTube video used by the Police caught him showing off to neighbours, and jumping into a river.
He was convicted of fraud in January this year, and sentenced to 200 hours community service and fined £600.
The ABI said fraudsters were now more likely than ever before to get caught.
"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," said James Dalton, the ABI's director of general insurance policy.
