Article: Worker's Compensation Fraud Cases

The World’s Most Extreme
Workers’ Compensation Fraud Cases

If She Can’t Work, How Is She Riding in the Rodeo?

by Paul Colbert

Paul Colbert has seen it all. He has seen crippled people walk, the infirmed ride horses and even blind men see again. He’s a detective and founder of Meridian Investigative Group, a corporation that specializes in investigating workers' compensation fraud. Through his work, he has seen people walk with crutches one day, and ride in a rodeo the next. While that may seem funny to some people, Colbert’s concern is that people don’t take workers’ compensation fraud seriously.

“When people hear about some of the fraud cases we have worked, sometimes I get the feeling they don’t have a problem with it, because they think the only people being hurt are the insurance companies,” Colbert said. “That notion couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, workers’ comp fraud costs the average consumer about $900 a year through increased insurance rates, increased healthcare costs and revenue stolen from their employers, which reduces their paychecks and bonuses.”

Colbert’s agency investigates thousands of cases each year, but he shared only a few that he felt were the most compelling and clearly negligent. For legal purposes, the names of the following fraudsters have been changed, but the videos revealing their fraud can be seen at www.migclaims.com.

** Kristy G: She alleged that her right foot was so injured that she couldn’t walk for for extended periods of time or be a productive member at her place of employment. Meridian’s video caught her walking into the doctor’s office with her crutches and ambulatory aid for her ankle. Later, she was videotaped walking around without the crutches and holding her boot in her hand, trying to hit someone with it and then stalking off quickly without any aid or signs of disability.

** Kathy V: Her alleged injury was to her neck and shoulders, and in her claim, she indicated that she gets regular injections in her arm for pain. Her pain was so severe, that she could not work. Meridian later videotaped her riding in a rodeo competition on two different occasions, after her date of injury.

** Eddie R: His alleged injury was to his back, left ankle and heel. Again, his injuries were to such a degree that he could not work anymore. Meridian’s video captured Eddie handily pushing his pickup truck after it stalled.

** Burt F: Burt filed a claim indicating the he was allegedly legally blind due to his workplace injury, but apparently not blind enough to prevent him from working as a maintenance man at an apartment complex. He was captured on video driving a golf cart and performing maintenance duties.

“When I see things like this day in and day out, it makes me wonder why people aren’t as outraged about it as I am,” Colbert added. “I see how much these fraudsters cost the system, and those costs are passed on to every consumer in the United States.

Some of us even know people who are getting away with it, and some of them figure, ‘hey, it’s cool, someone’s finally getting one over on the insurance companies,’ but they couldn’t be more wrong. All these people are doing is reaching into all of our pockets to pay their rent and go on vacations. It’s unfair to the people who go to work every morning – and some who even work two jobs – so they can make ends meet honestly.”

About Paul Colbert

Paul Colbert is the president and CEO of Meridian Investigative Group and has more than a decade of investigative experience. He is a former Navy veteran and has committed himself to the war against fraud. www.migclaims.com

Source: Article printed with permission of the publicist.