WCDefenseCA

It never ceases to amaze me, dear readers, why a law enforcement officer would think that workers’ compensation insurance fraud is a good idea.

The SacBee reports that a CHP officer and his CHP dispatcher wife have been charged with workers’ compensation insurance fraud.  The CHP officer has been accused of making false statements to his physicians about his limitations and inability to work.  His wife, who attended some of the appointments, apparently confirmed these fake restrictions.

They would then drive out of town (with his wife driving until they were out of the patrol radius of officers familiar with them, and then they would switch) and he would go camping, boating, swimming, and diving.

Now, of course, there has been no conviction as yet.  But, speaking generally (this is how you can tell your humble blogger is tired of angry workers and their attorneys threatening to sue him for hurt feelings and the glare from having the light shone on their activities) workers’ compensation fraud by law enforcement officers does particularly grievous damage – the very system by which frauds are arrested and prosecuted is impeached when the watchmen demand watchmen of their own.

A particular source of frustration is the fact that law enforcement officers already receive workers’ compensation benefits that ordinary citizens do not – full salary for a year in lieu of the capped and reduced temporary disability benefits; compensability presumptions as to a whole host of impairments and conditions (including congenital conditions), and weekly delivery of coffee and doughnuts by the Governor himself (that one isn’t in the labor code… yet!)

But, when law enforcement officers decide to engage in workers’ compensation fraud, obviously that isn’t enough.

Some reader and some state officials might find this particularly egregious because these are tax dollars that are wasted to provide the officer with paid vacations.  But, your humble blogger hopes to remind you that all fraud is at taxpayer expense.  It doesn’t matter if you have to pay more taxes to subsidize a fraud’s paid vacation, or if you have to pay more for the items on the shelves because there is a higher workers’ compensation insurance premium: you’re still paying.

So, if you see something, say something – a workers’ compensation fraud is always taking money directly out of your pocket, and laughing all the way to the bank while you’re grimacing all the way to work.