Faked Slip and Falls Cost Customers

May 10, 2004 -- Bruce Tarlowe slipped on a piece of lettuce in a New Jersey grocery store and sued, claiming permanent injuries.

But before the "accident," Tarlowe was caught on videotape, kicking the lettuce into position. He then strolled back, looked around, and down he went. Free after 90 days in jail on fraud and attempted theft charges, Tarlowe is now appealing his convictions.

"Roughly about $8 million a day in fraudulent slips and falls are taking place," said Russ Kendzior, executive director of the National Floor Safety Institute. "We're the ones paying for this by way of increased costs for our food, for our gasoline, for everything that we consume. A percentage of that is to go to pay fraudulent claims."

Eduardo Pomare-Leon hired a lawyer after he fell in a puddle of soda in a supermarket in Atlanta, planning to sue. But before the fall, Pomare-Leon was caught on videotape taking the bottle off the shelf, looking around and pouring some on the floor.

Minutes later, he slipped and fell on the soda he spilled. He was caught, prosecuted, and served 90 days in jail.

Grandma Takes a Dive

Richard Dean said he was injured in a fall in a Long Island supermarket. A videotape, however, shows that although he slipped, he never fell. Before the "accident," Dean spilled fabric softener from his shopping cart right where he would later slip on it.

In spite of his so-called injuries, nine days later he was caught on tape again, carrying a refrigerator.

Instead of collecting $2 million as he had hoped, Dean went to jail for a year. He was released last spring.