Slippery Claimant Caught on Tape

An Auburn, NY man was arrested last month after cameras apparently caught him pouring his soda on the floor and staging a slip and fall.

According to a press release issued by the New York State Insurance Department, 48-year-old, Charles E. Barnes, filed a claim with the store’s insurer, Travelers Property and Casualty Insurance Company, in January claiming to have injured his back from the incident.

“Investigators from the Insurance Department’s Frauds Bureau say video from surveillance cameras inside an Express Mart show Barnes deliberately pouring soda onto the floor. The video then shows Barnes lying on the floor until customers and store employees come to his aid.”

Barnes later withdrew the claim, but was arrested and charged with insurance fraud and falsifying business documents after surveillance video captured what really happened. It is not unusual to hear  stories about insurance carriers “going to the tape” to get to the bottom of suspicious claims that take place in public places.  Security cameras are in many public places  these days and insurance claims professionals can routinely view an accident to determine if it is indeed legitimate when cameras are present. In this particular case it appears as though the floor wasn’t the “slippery” one and the cameras were right there to catch it.

Nice work by the Cayuga County authorities, Auburn PD, NYS Insurance Department, and the claims professionals at Travelers Property and Casualty for not letting this bogus claim “slip” through the cracks.  If convicted, Barnes faces up to four years in prison.  This case is being prosecuted by the office of Cayuga County District Attorney Jon E. Budelmann and the investigation was assisted by the Auburn Police Department.  A mug shot of Barnes can be viewed here.