Workers’ Compensation Fraud and How to Avoid It

While workers’ compensation coverage is essential for every business in Illinois, your employees can also take advantage of it. It is supposed to provide injured workers with a safety net in case they fall seriously ill or are injured so severely they cannot perform their job duties. Antioch workers’ compensation lawyers will tell you that, like other types of insurance, it is susceptible to false claims, which can result in thousands of dollars in losses for your business.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Fraud

You can protect your business from insurance fraud by looking for common signs. It happens when an employee knowingly accepts or acquires workers’ compensation benefits that they are not entitled to. Some common examples include the following:

• Filing a claim for an injury that they did not sustain at work.
• Misrepresenting the seriousness of their injuries.
• Misrepresenting their work status while getting temporary benefits from their claim.

A recent case regarding actor Q’orianka Kilcher is a case in point. The Alienist star ran into some legal issues with LA County when she was charged with workers’ compensation fraud. She allegedly collected over $90,000 in disability benefits that she was not entitled to while working on the Paramount show Yellowstone. The actor claimed that she could not take on other roles because of head and neck injuries sustained on the set of Dora and the Lost City of Gold. Kilcher stopped responding to the insurance company handling her claim for her employer and stopped her doctor’s recommended treatments. But she returned to the doctor five days after the show wrapped to receive disability benefits. The case has been registered in court.

How to Prevent Workers’ Compensation Fraud

Protect your business from workers’ compensation fraud by following these tips: Most workers’ compensation insurance carriers have special departments that look into such fraudulent activities. Most investigations reveal said activities when they are reported for the first time. Prevent these issues from cropping up by speaking transparently with employees about them. Make sure they know that they are expected to report such cases and the options they can use to do so if they are uncomfortable speaking to management. They can also report fraud without revealing their identity to the Department of Labor. In other words, ensure your workers know that workers’ compensation fraud is a matter that your company does not take lightly so they can report questionable behavior proactively.

Conduct thorough investigations

Irrespective of a case’s circumstances, ensure you complete an incident investigation report surrounding a workplace injury or illness matter. By understanding the root case, you can prevent future incidents and also expose inconsistencies or suspicious information. If a worker is faking an injury, a detailed examination should expose them. Some of the details you should collect include:

• The name, title, and hiring date of the employee.
• The seriousness of the injury.
• The time the incident was reported.
• Any property damage that resulted from the accident.
• Who the incident was told about and when.

Among other information, your insurance company can tell you to collect.

Contact the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens for a Consultation Today

If you or a colleague have been wrongly accused of workers’ compensation fraud or your employer refuses to take responsibility for a workplace accident, contact Antioch workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Robert T. Edens today. We have more than two decades of experience fighting for the rights of Illinois workers like you who are frustrated and about to give up. We will continue the fight for you and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.