Hearing Rep Accused of Cashing Dead Client’s Settlement Check
Hello, dear readers!
Do you ever read a fact-pattern, squint at the text, and go, really? I suppose it would look something like this:
Well, that was your humble blogger’s reaction when he read the facts of this story. Apparently, a workers’ compensation hearing representative down south allegedly decided that dead men need no settlement proceeds. He stands accused of negotiating a settlement agreement with SCIF after his client had proverbially kicked the proverbial bucket, then forged his signature and had the settlement proceeds sent to his interpreter friend to be deposited (and presumably split).
Talk about dead men’s shoes.
Of course, your humble blogger has no idea of these charges will be sustained or if this is all just a misunderstanding.
But, let’s just say, hypothetically, these things were to actually happen… what the heck are defendants supposed to do? Are we supposed to require notary public stamps on all C&Rs not personally witnessed by defense attorneys?
Another habit your humble blogger has observed at the WCAB is that an already-signed C&R will be passed around for “witness” signatures – what exactly are we witnesses to when we didn’t see anyone sign the C&R, let alone request photo ID of the person singing the C&R?
In any case, your humble blogger hopes truth and justice prevail as with this particular case, but perhaps this should remind us all to be a bit more wary of the settlement papers we process on a daily basis.