Police officer charged for defrauding workers’ compensation

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workers’ Compensation on Thursday, March 6, 2014.

In Illinois, workers’ compensation is the primary solution for injuries sustained while on the job. When claims are filed, the injured person is required to be completely honest and supply only truthful information relating to the injury. In a recent case, a police officer allegedly filed a fraudulent claim for workers’ compensation and suffered grave consequences.

During Oct. 2012, a police officer filed a claim over a wrist injury sustained at work. He was reported to have been assigned to light duty after the injury, but video surveillance obtained by the Illinois Department of Insurance reportedly showed the injured man busy weightlifting at the precinct. He later reported the injury to have been aggravated at work and was relieved of duty for several months.

Additional video footage showed the policeman functioning as a private personal trainer during the time he was off work. This led to an indictment and the police officer was charged with scheming to defraud the system by exaggerating the extent of his injury. Further charges were fraud of workers’ compensation and insurance, along with theft of government property and theft by deception.

The case was referred for prosecution to the Attorney General, who stated that the evidence showed that the policeman plotted to deceive the workers’ compensation system for his own monetary gain. When Illinois workers’ compensation claims are successful, the injured parties could be compensated for medical care expenses, as well as all costs related to disabilities and deaths. In cases where such claims are denied, the injured may benefit from seeking advice regarding legal options that may be available.

Source: workerscompensation.com, Former Illinois Police Officer Indicted for Fraud, No author, Feb. 27, 2014