It was cold and rainy here in San Antonio for the American Bar Association LEL & TIPS Mid Winter Conference, but the dialogue warmed things up rather rapidly inside. In a session discussing Social Networking and Investigations, Scott Catron, of Titan Investigations was giving a solid presentation on the guidelines for a proper online investigation…
Workers' Comp Fraud 101: Lesson 2 – When Shot in a Sex Club, Don't Lie About It
I don’t even know where to start on this one. I suppose I should mention that, as of this writing, the people I discuss have not yet been found guilty of fraud; their case just went to the jury yesterday. A man, shot in the back at a San Francisco sex club named Twist, is…
Florida Legislature Writes Wrong Prescription for Physician Dispensing
What started as an attempt to reign in excessive costs by restricting the extreme markups often employed by dispensing physicians in Florida has turned into a freakishly convoluted mess that hog ties carriers, assures massive physician dispensing profits, and does virtually nothing to solve the problem it set out to fix. In my view, it…
Roasting a Florida Senator in Sarasota
What do Florida Senators Garrett Richter, Nancy Detert, Mike Bennett and I all have in common? We will all be on the same stage March 16th, as I "RoastMaster" the Sertoma Sarasota Celebrity Roast. Senator Bennett, the Florida Senate President Pro Tempore, will be the evenings guest of dishonor. Politically this will be tempting for…
Something is Rotten in the Town of Bismarck: Alleged Record Tampering at the North Dakota WSI
It’s hard to believe, I know. In the pure and pristine land of the People’s Republic of North Dakota (PRND), where deer and antelope play, and nary a negative thought is uttered, allegations of corruption have once again reared their ugly head. Two whistleblowers at the offices of Workforce Safety and Insurance claim that they…
To Serve, Protect and Sue: NH Supremes Say Injured Firefighter Can Sue Homeowner
If your house catches fire in New Hampshire, be sure to clear the ice off your driveway before you call the volunteer fire department. May want to make sure the yard is free of clutter, and tidy up the house while you’re at it. Because the firefighters who save your home may be able to…
Collect Calls from Prison and a News Crew in the Lobby Spell a Bad Day at Ohio BWC
It's the kind of thing that can dampen your day; the local equivalent of hearing those frightening words, “Excuse me Mr. Wilson, 60 Minutes is in the lobby, and they have some photos they would like to ask you some questions about”. It happened a few days ago to the folks at Ohio Bureau of…
Workers’ Comp Fraud 101: Lesson 1 – Turn off Security Cameras Prior to Staging Accident
A Target employee in New Jersey has been arrested for staging what is called an elaborate scheme to fake a workers' compensation claim. Victoria Colon, 28, of Union City, thought of everything. Loosening the shelf that would drop untold amounts of merchandise on top of her head. Pulling a shopping cart with more merchandise over…
Missouri Senate Bill Brings Occupational Diseases Home to Workers’ Comp
In 2005 the state of Missouri did something unusual. It removed Occupational Diseases from the realm of workers' compensation, opting instead to let those cases be handled in traditional civil courts. This week the state Senate has taken firm steps to return these cases to workers' comp, bringing better cost certainty to the businesses in…
Obscene Email Gets Big Booby Prize for Oklahoma Insurance Department
It's not often I have to start out a blog post by warning you that this article contains offensive language. It's even rarer when that offensive language is pulled directly from an email generated from a state Department of Insurance. And rarest yet is the laughter that state generated email produced – at least around…