Belle Glade woman accused of staging fall at Winn Dixie for insurance money
www.cbs12.com, Sphie Pendrill, August 28, 2024
BELLE GLADE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Belle Glade woman has been accused of intentionally falling at a Winn Dixie for insurance money.
On May 30, 2023, at around 11 a.m., Leverne Williams, 70, had allegedly slipped and fell on a dark liquid on the floor of a Winn-Dixie located at 900 South Main Street in Belle Glade, which resulted in her being transported by EMS to Lakeside Medical Center with injuries.
A Florida Department of Financial Services (FDF) report states that on July 21, 2023, Spencer Morgan Law Firm sent a letter to Winn-Dixie regarding the injuries that Williams had sustained from her fall. The letter had claimed the store should have known about the liquid on the floor.
Winn Dixie hired a special investigator on July 31, 2023, to investigate William's claim.
The investigator found video footage that the spill was coming from underneath the shelves.
The footage is reported to show Williams walking down the aisle with a man when she stops and looks at the floor. At that point, she allegedly reaches for a bottle on top of the shelf and appears to unscrew the cap from the water bottle, spilling liquids on the floor.
It ultimately shows Williams looking down and moving her right foot forward, intentionally causing her to fall to the ground, the state agency said.
Officials stated that the man with Williams attempted to pick her up and failed, then went to get help. While the man is getting help, Williams is shown scooting towards the spill and moving her foot around in the spill.
In a conversation with investigators, Williams stated that when she slipped, she scooted into the liquid to see what it was and that she did not unscrew the water bottle, it was already opened. She claimed that she had burned her finger that morning and would be unable to open a bottle.
Through further investigation, the private investigator found that Williams had previously submitted a claim for Commercial Liability against Walmart for an alleged slip and fall.
The case was transferred to the FDF on March 25, where investigators found that Spencer Morgan Law had dropped Williams's case on April 24.
After reviewing video footage, officials found that Williams intentionally fell and accused Williams of insurance fraud.
News Article: Belle Glade woman accused of staging fall at Winn Dixie for insurance money (cbs12.com)