The recent news story about a man who was found guilty of trying to defraud the New York Worker’s Compensation Board proves that some people will do just about anything to get away with a crime.
The man was a retired sanitation worker in Manhattan who was already off work for an injury. He alleged that while going to a doctor’s appointment for his previous injury, he fell on a faulty sidewalk and broke his wrist. He even filed  a lawsuit against the city-owned client. However, his story changed pretty fast when he was questioned by investigators. The same investigators had camera footage from surveillance tapes showing the man did not, in fact, fall anywhere near the building.
Not only did the man lose his job after 21 years, he now faces a 7-year prison term if convicted on the charges. Prior to his first injury, he was making $64,000 a year with the same city he tried to defraud. The case is still pending but it is just one of too many workers compensation fraud headlines.
It’s interesting that he and so many others tell outright lies about their supposed work-related injury – especially now that the workers compensation officials are not very secretive about their rounds of intense investigation in to fraudulent claims. Even the public seems to grow tired of the incidents of fraud with more people giving up friends, family, and neighbors to the authorities for attempting fraudulent acts.
If you have a legitimate workers compensation claim, see a personal injury attorney to protect your rights. You can call our office toll free 888-779-3918 to set up an appointment.  If you are thinking about any financial gain from lying about workers compensation, you’ll need a different kind of attorney to help – one practicing criminal law.