Two Tampa-Area Businesses Charged with Millions of Dollars in Workers Comp Fraud
Federal agents raided two Tampa-based businesses on Thursday, October 2nd, after investigations showed the businesses had committed millions of dollars in workers comp fraud.
AmeriMed Diagnostics advertises that they help injured federal workers with insurance and workers comp claims, and offers some medical services like physical therapy.
Unnamed sources say that the AmeriMed offices committed “workers’ compensation fraud worth millions of dollars.”
While agents executed a search warrant on one of the buildings, additional officers stood outside the office and turned patients away, telling them to return the next day.
“They just said for us to call back and be contacted tomorrow,” one patient said. She told reporters that she had been going to AmeriMed for therapy since July and never saw anything suspicious.
“They’re very nice people, the staff is very nice,” she said.
AmeriMed’s website says the company specializes in workers comp and disability assistance: “AmeriMed can help you with disability evaluations for Social Security Disability, Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) disability, or Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) disability. We provide state of the art diagnostic equipment and procedures that allow us to determine your true physical condition and which reveal the injuries and impairment that are causing your disabling conditions.”
Documented Worker’s Comp Fraud
If the insurance company or an investigator is able to collect video or other documented evidence that you are not as injured as you claim to be, or that you are working another job while you are out on workers comp, your risk immediate termination of your benefits as well as a reduction in your impairment rating. Allegations of insurance fraud can also result in criminal charges against you. Remember, even a one time out of character act may be memorialized in a picture or video forever.
Workers comp fraud can make it more difficult for you to file a workers comp insurance claim when you are genuinely injured. Workers’ Comp Insurance companies hire 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.
Methods of surveillance may extend beyond traditional physical surveillance to include social media such as MySpace and Facebook. You should be aware that if your Facebook privacy settings are open, anyone can access your information, including wall posts and pictures. When viewed out of context, this information may hurt your case and affect your overall impairment rating. Similarly, information that anyone else posts about you may also be fair game.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Workers Comp Claims in South Carolina
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 are licensed to practice throughout South Carolina, as well as Georgia and New York. If you have been injured on the job, give us a call. We offer a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case. 803.252.4800.
