Columbus, OH – The Ohio BWC’s Special Investigations division recently announced that it netted seven fraud or fraud-related convictions in December, bringing calendar year 2018’s total to 94. In order of most recent case, December convictions include: Jason Dudas, Mentor, Ohio Dudas pleaded guilty Dec. 13 to one count of workers’ compensation fraud, a first-degree… [Read more]
Work Force & Human Resource News
New TN BWC Program Helps Injured Workers Take Next Step After Disability Benefits End
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) recently launched the Next Step program to assist injured workers who are unable to return to employment. Many claimants who receive workers’ compensation benefits are unsure of how they will support their families in the future. The Next Step program provides injured workers a means… [Read more]
Ohio Man Kept Truckin’ While Collecting Injured-Worker Benefits
Columbus, OH – A Zanesville truck driver must pay nearly $8,000 in restitution to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) after agency investigators found him working for a living while collecting BWC disability benefits. Douglas J. Krouskoupf, 53, pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to a first-degree misdemeanor count of workers’ compensation fraud in the Franklin… [Read more]
NC Industrial Commission: $3.2 Million in Penalties Collected in Two Quarters
Raleigh, NC – The Industrial Commission’s Compliance and Fraud Investigative Division continues to identify businesses out of compliance with the Workers’ Compensation Act. At the end of the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2018-19, the Compliance and Fraud Investigative Division collected over $3.2 million in penalties and issued 289 criminal charges. The Division is… [Read more]
myAbilities Offers Tips on Making Ergonomics a Priority in 2019
Burlington, ONT – A common New Year’s resolution is to be healthy, which usually means exercising more and eating balanced meals. While diet and exercise may be the first resolutions we are tempted to tackle, it’s time to add healthful work habits onto the list of goals to be made in 2019. “We all know… [Read more]
FL CFO Announces Arrest of Roofer for Nearly $50,000 in Theft and WC Insurance Fraud
Clearwater, FL – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis recently announced the arrest of Terry Wayne LaCoste, owner of Terry W. LaCoste Weathertight Systems, Inc. and David E. Gilliland, Inc., after allegedly attempting to defraud multiple homeowners out of more than $49,000 and working without workers’ compensation insurance. CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “It is shameful… [Read more]
New WCRI Study Identifies Characteristics Associated with Significant Differences in Opioid Dispensing
Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently published a new study, Correlates of Opioid Dispensing, that identifies characteristics of injured workers and their employers that are associated with differences in opioid dispensing rates. “This study can help public officials and other stakeholders better predict which injured workers are more or less likely… [Read more]
Two WA Residents Charged in Separate Workers’ Comp Scams
Everett, WA – A commercial real estate broker accused of faking injuries and a housekeeper accused of double-dipping workers’ comp benefits each face criminal charges in unrelated cases in Snohomish County. They were both arraigned yesterday afternoon on one count of felony, first-degree theft in Snohomish County Superior Court. They’re charged in separate cases with… [Read more]
NCCI Releases Q4 2018 Quarterly Economics Briefing
Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently announced the release of the Q4 2018 edition of its Quarterly Economics Briefing, which examines the current state of the economy and implications for workers compensation insurance, and is separated into two sections: “Review of Current Conditions” and “Drilling Down”. Review of Current Conditions Key takeaways include: Employment growth… [Read more]
WY State Occupational Epidemiologist Releases Annual Report on 2017 Workplace Fatalities
Cheyenne, WY – The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) recently released its annual Work-Related Fatal Injuries report. The report, which provides analysis over the years 2012-2017 and is the third multi-year report, offers a complete review of occupational fatality patterns in the state by industry and cause. In 2017, State Occupational Epidemiology identified 20… [Read more]