Every other week or so, media outlets in California report on someone getting caught for making false statements in their workers compensation claim and being charged with fraud. So is it really worth the risk?
If you are thinking about obtaining workers comp benefits and/or social security benefits fraudulently or dishonestly, you have come to the right place. Today, our Los Angeles on-the-job injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Kropach & Kropach is going to get real about whether or not making false statements in your claim is worth it.
First and foremost, if there is even the slightest indication that you provided false or exaggerated statements in your workers comp claim, you risk losing your right to seek workers comp benefits altogether.
Insurance companies and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are very strict when it comes to fraud. Insurers in California and the SSA launch their own investigation to look for any signs of fraud, waste, or abuse in your claim.
If you successfully obtain workers comp or disability benefits by making false statements and acting fraudulently, and your employer and/or the SSA discovers it, your benefits will be terminated. In addition to that, your employer and/or the SSA may pursue criminal charges for fraud against you. And that is terrible news.
“When filling out a workers comp claim and applying for social security benefits, you will notice that you, as a claimant, will be required to state that all the information you provide is true and correct to the best of your knowledge under penalty of perjury,” says our workers compensation attorney in Los Angeles.
By making a false statement, which you know is untrue and false, you risk being found guilty of a crime. Lying about the existence or severity of your workplace injury can, and will, get you in trouble with the law.
While we know plenty of stories of workers in Los Angeles and all across California making up workplace injuries and illnesses out of whole cloth and getting away with it, providing false statements in your claim is not worth the risk, because getting caught greatly outweighs the benefits of lying your way into collecting workers comp or social security benefits.
While it may not seem like a big deal, but lying about details related to income when applying for social security benefits can be just as bad as lying about the existence of your injury or illness.
If you incorrectly indicate the amount of income or omit a source of income in your claim, you risk getting in trouble with the law. The SSA takes this very seriously, so do not be surprised if the SSA denies your benefits after finding out that you provided incorrect or false information in your claim.
Another common scenario is when applicants seeking social security benefits after a workplace injury indicate an incorrect marital status. They claim to be single when in fact they are married in order to receive more benefits. “Or another common example is when an applicant claims to be unable to operate a car because of visual impairment when in fact he or she holds a valid driver’s license and can drive just fine,” says our Los Angeles on-the-job injury attorney.
If you want to get more information about the risks and consequences of making false statements in a workers compensation claim in California, schedule a free consultation with our lawyers at the Law Offices of Kropach & Kropach. Let our lawyers consult you on what might serve as grounds for the denial of benefits in your particular case. Call our offices at 818-609-7005 or fill out this contact form for a free case evaluation.
