Workers Comp Ordered to Pay $860 Million in Restitutions to Ohio Businesses

A Cuyahoga County judge awarded $859.44 Million to Ohio businesses for restitutions because the state’s workers comp insurance program overcharged employers over a period of 8 years.

The restitution was the verdict of a class action lawsuit brought forth by a group of 270,000 employers, many of whom are small business owners.

The lawsuit began in 2007, and alleges that the bureau gave discounted premiums to some businesses that joined group insurance plans, then overcharged companies that did not join special insurance group plans. The program offered discounts to companies with good safety records and few workers comp claims.

According to the lawsuit, nine employers are owed more than $1 million each, and 1,142 are owed more than $100,000.

In December, Judge Richard McMonagle ruled in favor of the employers, agreeing that between July 2001 and June 2009, they had been charged too much, in order to pay for the discounts given to favored groups.

Workers Comp Insurance Claims in South Carolina

Basically, workers comp is an insurance policy that your employer must carry to make sure that employees injured at work can obtain necessary medical treatment and financial assistance for lost wages, plus additional compensation for any work-related injury, sickness, or disease that causes total or partial impairment to work. Workers’ compensation is available regardless of fault when the injury arises out of, and in the course of, employment.

By law, every South Carolina employer with four or more full-time employees must have workers compensation insurance.

The protection provided under the South Carolina Workers Comp Act is only the beginning of your right to compensation for a workplace injury.

Workers Comp Insurance companies, concerned about abuse of workers comp benefits in South Carolina, often hire private investigators to observe injured workers, especially in the case of serious injury where the insurance company has more at stake. Workers’ Comp Insurance companies hire these investigators to generate evidence that your injuries are not as bad as you claim them to be, and/or that you are working a second job while you are receiving temporary benefits.

If you aren’t committing a blatant infringement against your workers’ comp claim, such as working a second job, a Worker’s Comp Insurance investigator could still collect data that may be slanted to use against you. Remember, they aren’t just ruling you out for workers’ comp fraud. These investigators are paid to find as much information as possible to help a workers’ comp insurance company deny your claim.

You should be completely honest in any conversation that you have with your employer, any insurance adjuster, or medical doctor that you see related to your injury. The more extensive you claim your injuries to be, the more costly your claim may be, and you can assume that you may be under surveillance.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Workers Comp Claims

The workers comp lawyers at The Strom Law Firm, LLC proudly seek justice on behalf of employees injured or killed on the job who work for private companies, as well as employees working for local county, city, and state government. We understand the impact that a work-related injury or death has upon you and your loved ones. The most important thing you need to focus on is a speedy recovery. You need an advocate who will seek justice on your behalf. The Strom Law Firm offers free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your workers comp claim. Contact us today. 803.252.4800.