Don’t Fall for Workers’ Comp Scams | Vigilant

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Feb 11, 2019

Don’t Fall for Workers’ Comp Scams

Vigilant Can Help Spot Fraudulent Claims That Might Slip by You

When it comes to workers’ comp fraud, you’d be surprised at how far some people will go—and how far they get. Here are just a handful of uncovered activities by injured workers that in no way could be considered focusing on “healing up” post injury.

Getting into real estate. A cook who fell on his back at work didn’t let that stop him from launching a real estate business. After being assessed by a doctor as too injured to perform any work, the employee obtained nearly $88,000 in cash benefits from L&I and his employer while at the same time acting as a realtor. Read more.

Putting one broom down and picking up another. A housekeeper at a senior center fell and injured her knees and right foot. After two months of receiving wage-replacement benefits, the housekeeper started working 30-40 hours per week for a housekeeping company and earned nearly $17,000. Read more.

Need help with workers' comp issues including fraud prevention? Learn more about our Washington Workers' Comp Retro Program today!

And here are some more examples!

Vigilant uncovers tattoo business fraud. A Retro Group Member saved over $150k when Vigilant exposed workers’ comp fraud by an injured worker who then faced charges for covering up a tattoo business. Read more.
 
Going on a kayaking expedition. A former U.S. Postal Service employee who fraudulently received more than $683K in wages and benefits after a back injury at work was arrested after enjoying a 3-day kayaking tour arranged by undercover agents. Read more.
 
Selling insurance. After claiming he couldn’t return to work due to an on-the-job knee injury, an employee opened an insurance business and generated profits of almost $800,000. All that while collecting $233,000 in wage-replacement checks from L&I. Read more.
 
Spot Fraud Early with Vigilant
Workers’ Comp claim fraud may be happening right in front of you and you might not know it. Vigilant’s Retro Group claims managers have years of experience spotting early signs of claim fraud. We’ll help bring fraud to a hard stop and close the claim as fast as possible.
This website presents general information in nontechnical language. This information is not legal advice. Before applying this information to a specific management decision, consult legal counsel.
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About The Author

Dan Beaty

Vice President Workers' Compensation
  • Portland State, B.S. in Communication
  • University of Washington, MBA
  • Has completed 6 marathons
  • Enjoys growing food in his garden; makes his own kombucha

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