A 29-year-old truck driver alleged that he slipped and fell while getting out of his truck in an ICW Group’s insured’s yard and twisted his right ankle. However, the insured reported that they had surveillance video showing the employee arriving to work already injured.
Videos show the employee arriving to work on his motorcycle, getting off, pushing it a short distance into a stall, limping across the parking lot to a cement truck, climbing up and entering the truck, closing the driver’s side door, sitting in the truck for a couple of minutes, and driving away from the parking lot. He was never seen stepping back out of the truck or slipping and falling down the stairs, as he reported.
In his initial recorded interview with ICW Group, the employee reported that he was in the yard getting out of the cement truck when his foot slipped off the step, twisted his right ankle, and fell.
ICW Group’s investigator then took the employee’s recorded statement, wherein he again reported climbing down from his cement truck in the yard when he slipped and twisted his right ankle. However, he was able to continue working and drove to a job site. He then climbed down a ladder and felt a snap in his right ankle, causing him to slip off the ladder. This made his ankle pain worse, and he was unable to walk, so he reported the injury to the employer.
The employee again reported the same story to his physician, who in turn found that his injury was industrially caused and placed him off of work on Total Temporary Disability (TTD) status.
The employer reported that the employee confessed later that his injury did not occur at work but indicated that he filed the work comp claim because work was slowing down and he needed extra money. He further stated that he thought by claiming a work injury, he could get extra money while he was recovering.
The case was referred to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, California Department of Insurance, and Riverside County District Attorney and is pending further review.
This case offers a good reminder to business owners encouraging the use of surveillance cameras in and around the workplace. Not only can they help support an injury occurring, they can help disprove an injury that did not occur. Visit ICW Group’s website for more tips on how to defend yourself and your business from fraud.