Staying one step ahead of criminals continues to be the goal of those looking after the workers compensation system in Texas.
Texas Mutual Insurance Company recently reported that Travis County grand juries indicted five people, in separate cases, on workers comp fraud-related charges. The claimants allegedly collected a combined $22,911 in benefits they were not entitled to through a scam investigators call double-dipping.
Double-dipping happens when claimants collect benefits for being too injured to work when they are, in fact, gainfully employed. Texas law requires claimants to contact their workers comp carrier when they return to work. Left unchecked, double-dipping and other workers’ comp fraud can lead to higher premiums for all Texas employers.
Here are the claimants who were indicted, along with the amount in benefits they allegedly collected illegally: Abiel Sierra of Houston, $11,080; Ronnie Crecy of Fairfield, $3,971; Pablo Carrasco of Odessa, $3,585; Donnie Harris of Fort Worth, $2,756; Nicole Rowe of Waxahachie, $1,519.
Texas Mutual reminds the public that a grand jury indictment is a formal accusation, not a conviction, of criminal conduct.
Austin Woman Sentenced for Workers Comp Fraud
Meantime, Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that a Travis County court sentenced Melody Tendayi of Austin on workers comp fraud-related charges.
The court sentenced Tendayi to five years’ deferred adjudication and 150 community service hours. It also ordered her to pay $6,020 in restitution to Texas Mutual.
Tendayi reported a job-related injury while working as a youth care worker for Lifeworks/Youth & Family Alliance in Austin. She claimed she was unable to work as a result of the injury, and Texas Mutual began paying income benefits to her.
Subsequently, Texas Mutual uncovered evidence that Tendayi was working as a temporary worker for a staffing service while receiving income benefits.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: [email protected].
©2014 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.
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