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Health & Fitness

Slip-and-fall claims on the rise

Questionable slip-and-fall claims are on the rise and Illinois has some of the highest such claims in the country.

In 2007, Cook County paid a settlement of more than $4,000 to an injured county employee who claimed the injury was the result of tripping on a banana peel.

That’s right a banana peel.

Slip and fall claims such as the one in 2007 in Cook County are becoming more commonplace these days, according to a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. They reviewed slip-and-fall questionable claims referred during 2010 and 2011 and they found referrals went from 1,944 in 2010 to 2,168 in 2011 – a 12 percent increase.

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Illinois is one of the top five states with the most slip-and-fall questionable cases with 230 and the city of Chicago is also in the top five with 63 such claims.

It should not be a surprise to see Illinois make this list. After all, Illinois is ranked the sixth-worst state in the country for legal fairness. Thanks to the lack of legal reform in Illinois, the state continues to be a magnet for lawsuit abuse and fraudulent slip-and-fall claims are just another example of how Illinois courts continue to be abused.

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The NICB report goes on to explain that small businesses are a prime target for these abusive claims. No wonder Illinois has the highest unemployment rate of all of the surrounding states. It is time for citizens to take a stand and put pressure on lawmakers to enact meaningful lawsuit reforms because what Illinois needs is more jobs – not more slip-and-fall lawsuits.

 

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