A Rolleston, New Zealand builder has been warned he may face prison if he continues to offend against the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).
Robert Carter pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court to submitting false medical certificates and failing to notify ACC of work he had carried out. Carter, 52, was also ordered to repay $3712.69, the amount of weekly compensation he had falsely claimed.
Judge Cosign noted Carter had offended against ACC before, and was getting close to the ultimate sanction of prison. (WCxKit)
The court heard that Carter had injured his calf muscle in March2009, and that while receiving weekly compensation had been paid for several construction jobs without notifying ACC. He continued to present medical certificates saying he was unfit to work.
ACC began investigating Carter after receiving information about his activities.
GM Claims Management Denise Cosgrove said Carter’s case should serve as a warning to others contemplating similar actions.
“The message is that you will not get away with it. We have an active anti-fraud unit – and there are plenty of people in the community who don’t tolerate this sort of offending and tell us when they see it,” Cosgrove remarked. (WCxKit)
In 2004 Carter was prosecuted by ACC in respect of a $17,240.06 fraud relating to his failure to advise ACC of work and earnings over various periods between 2001 and 2003. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 200 hours of community work and ordered to pay full reparation.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing.
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