Workers' Compensation Cheaters Hurt Legitimate Claimants
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Fortunately, cheaters who try to defraud the workers' compensation system almost always get caught. These few cheaters should be punished severely. They not only hurt their employers and their insurance companies, they also make it harder for legitimate claimants to recover the benefits to which they are entitled.
Workers' compensation fraud and wrongdoing by employers and their insurance companies occur far more frequently than does fraud on the part of workers. These cheaters are very rarely caught because the injured victims do not have the resources to fight this kind of white collar fraud.
When workers cheat the system, video cameras are usually present to capture the wrongdoing on camera.
When reading the following accounts of employee wrongdoing, you should remember that for every 30 seconds of this kind of activity, there are hundreds of hours of private detective videos showing injured workers doing mundane tasks well with the limits of their doctor's restrictions.
When workers cheat the system, video cameras are usually present to capture the wrongdoing on camera.
When reading the following accounts of employee wrongdoing, you should remember that for every 30 seconds of this kind of activity, there are hundreds of hours of private detective videos showing injured workers doing mundane tasks well with the limits of their doctor's restrictions.
Recently in Ohio, state investigators caught three people, a health care worker, a carryout employee, and a handyman, on camera defrauding the worker's compensation system. Fraud such as this can result in millions being taken from employers who pay premiums for worker's comp.
According to Tom Wersell, the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation's director of investigation, in each case, the people caught were found guilty of charges of worker's comp fraud. Wersell said that in 2007 over $100 million in savings were identified by his bureau, including provider fraud, employer fraud, and injured worker fraud.
According to Wersell, all were caught and convicted after they faked or embellished injuries in the workplace for money.
A chiropractor's office manager, Lynne Wilson, was on disability due to injuries to her arm, shoulder, and neck. One of her duties was submitting the worker's compensation claims of patients. The BWC took a video tape that showed images of her working, even though she was collecting temporary total benefits at the time.
Patrick Bell, an Ohio TV reporter, reported that Wilson was convicted and received an order to repay over $12,000.
The handyman, Daniel Willman, was seen on video painting, even though he was collecting money for injuries to his back, elbow, and shoulder while working. Wersell said that Willman had told both his doctor and the bureau that he was temporarily disabled. He was ordered to repay over $21,000 to the state.
According to carryout employee Stacey Snyder, she injured her thigh and chest while working, yet the camera caught her still working at a carryout in the Springfield, Ohio-area.
"(Video tape) is the best evidence," said BWC special agent Scott Lape. "Pictures are worth a thousand words and video is worth even more."
According to Lape, new technology is aiding in the rate of conviction.
Wersell said that 73 percent of the 3,000 cases closed involved injured worker fraud.