Slip and Fall Lawsuit Prevention with Video Surveillance in the Tri-State Area
Slip and fall legal claims are not new, but they are on the verge of becoming a phenomenon after the pandemic. In the past few years, Walmart, Costco and other major retailers have been hit with slip and fall lawsuits, filed by scammers who see an opportunity to score an easy payout if they can prove a business was negligent to protect the public.
Fortunately, there is one measure of defense that can prevent them from being able to prove negligence: video surveillance, which can protect Tri-State Area businesses from slip and fall scammers. Here are some ways a quality video surveillance system can defend retailers and other businesses from those attempting to defraud them.
Proving Reasonable Care Took Place
One of the most time-worn slip and fall schemes pulled off by scammers is purposely slipping on a wet floor. In cases where the floor has no “caution” or “wet floor” sign on it, many scammers get away with it. In these cases, the courts may rule that the lack of signage shows the business did not take “reasonable care” to protect patrons.
But if there is a sign present, video surveillance can show the sign was there to protect people from slipping. That’s what happened in this slip and fall case, where the hotel being sued by a scammer won the case because the footage showed they had signs on their floor to protect their guests.
With video surveillance watching the area, you can prove you took reasonable care to protect your building occupants from injury.
Catching Scammers in the Act
In some slip and fall scams, the perpetrator scatters small objects across the floor — whether it’s the store’s own merchandise, or something the scammer brought along with them under the pretense that it was left on the floor by a negligent employee. If the business can’t prove the objects were put there by the “victim,” it’s possible the business could lose the case.
But with video surveillance monitoring all activity, any scammer’s attempt to cast objects onto the floor for the purpose of falling on them will be caught on camera. The business is far more likely to win the case by simply letting the footage tell the story.
Showing Slip and Fall Accomplices
Some of today’s slip and fall scammers work in teams as an attempt to make a story more believable. Typically, their scheme involves one person playing the “victim” and the other person acting as a lookout as the “fall” takes place. Then, the lookout reports the “fall” to management to get store employees involved with filing an incident report. However, this scam only works when the cameras aren’t watching. With the right video surveillance system, a business can ensure slip and fall scammers working in teams won’t get away with it.
Call Security Instrument to Learn More
To protect your business from a slip and fall lawsuit, call Security Instrument to request information on video surveillance in the Tri-State Area. We serve 47 counties in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and we’ll be glad to serve your business.
About Security Instrument
From Fortune 500 to local SMB’s throughout the Tri-State area, Security Instrument integrates custom security systems to meet the needs of commercial clients.
