It is always unfortunate when a worker is injured while on the job, especially if it affects the person’s ability to earn a living. This is one of the reasons that workers’ compensation insurance coverage is important. However, there are some workers who take advantage of the situation by exaggerating or even lying about their injuries. This seems to be the case for one worker who is now facing employee fraud charges in California.
The worker has recently been hit with criminal charges for workers compensation fraud, which is considered a felony. Apparently, the man was caught on video skydiving despite claiming to be unable to perform work due to an injury incurred at work. The videotaped recording has been used as evidence against the worker.
The man had claimed he was injured while working as a concrete cutter. The purported injury occurred in Dec. 2013. The worker claimed that extreme pain caused him to lose the ability to use his left arm when driving. However, the worker had been videotaped driving a vehicle without a problem, along with footage of him skydiving in full jump gear. Apparently, the video footage shows the man skydiving with clients strapped to his body.
This case illustrates the importance for employers to always be on the lookout for possible employee fraud. Vigilance can help an employer avoid significant financial hardships sometimes caused by workers compensation costs in California. In some cases, an employer will have to take legal action when employee fraud is discovered and professional help is available to correct and wrongs and pursue a fair result.
Source: mercurynews.com, “Employee of Santa Clara company charged with felony workers’ comp fraud after caught skydiving“, Katie Nelson, April 16, 2015
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