A Seattle man was sentenced to six months of electronic home monitoring and must pay more than $26,000 in restitution for first-degree theft in an insurance case, according to the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
The OIC reports the man claimed an on-the-job back injury to his employer in 2006. He was placed on temporary total disability and received disability pay from his employer's insurer, Alaska National Insurance. Doctors subsequently ruled him unable to go back to work.
Five weeks following the injury, investigators working for the insurer videotaped the suspect working on his sailboat at a Seattle marina.
The sanding, painting, climbing and moving of machinery were all contrary to the physical restrictions imposed by his doctors, according to the Washington insurance commissioner's Special Investigations Unit.
When shown the video, the independent medical examination doctors who had originally seen the individual reversed their original opinion as to his ability to work. (workersxzcompxzkit)
The man pleaded guilty to the charge. The restitution covers unnecessary medical expenses and disability benefits that he was not entitled to.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers' Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: Robert_Elliott@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
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Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers' comp issues.
