While fraud generally refers to the criminal act of intentionally deceiving some entity in order to further one’s personal financial gain, workers’ compensation fraud is specifically defined as the act of intentionally making false statements or representations to the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Colorado in order to secure payments or any type of benefit (according to the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act, §8-43-402 C.R.S. and §18-1-105 C.R.S.).
Types of Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Some of the specific types of workers’ compensation fraud that can be prosecuted include:
- Applicant workers’ compensation fraud: This can involve a worker faking injuries, filing multiple workers’ compensation claims (potentially under multiple identities) and/or reporting injuries not sustained on the job.
- Insurance adjuster workers’ compensation fraud: This can entail insurance agents doctoring paperwork in order to justify denial of a workers’ compensation claim or accepting payment for referrals to specific medical care providers.
- Employer workers’ compensation fraud: This can involve employers intentionally lying to try to get injured workers to not file workers’ compensation claims, underreporting employees’ wages to try to decrease their payouts and/or otherwise misrepresenting the truth to avoid compensating workers for their injuries.
- Billing workers’ compensation fraud: This can entail medical providers billing for services that have not been provided and/or overstating the costs of medical services provided.
- Workers’ compensation lawyer fraud: This can involve lawyers assisting claimants in making fraudulent workers’ compensation claims.
Denver Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
Workers who suffer a personal injury on the job desire competent medical treatment and compensation to cover their lost wages as a result of their injuries. Because workers’ compensation requirements can be rigorous and confusing for both workers and for self-insured corporations, it is important to obtain legal counsel to help navigate the obstacles.
With more than 30 years of combined workers’ compensation experience, the Denver workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Office of Steven J. Picardi have extensive knowledge of Colorado workers’ compensation law, strong credentials and a significant record of success that consistently allowed them to effectively defend employers and represent injured employees in all phases of workers’ compensation litigation. Our firm’s lawyers remain abreast of the latest changes in workers’ compensation laws and are ready to use their skills and knowledge to your advantage.
For experienced legal advocacy in defending or filing a workers’ compensation claim, contact the Picardi Law Firm for a consultation by calling (303) 778-8881 or by emailing us using the form at the top of the screen.