Employers who cheat the NY workers’ compensation system

If you’ve ever been injured on the job, you probably know how frustrating it can be to get fair workers’ compensation from your employer and their insurance company. It seems that everyone is suspicious of employees and you may have felt that your manager or insurance representative was trying to figure out if you were really telling the truth.

Sure, workers’ comp fraud is a problem – but it isn’t just an employee problem. Over the years there have been some truly shocking cases of employer fraud, with employers doing everything they can to avoid paying workers’ comp premiums and avoid paying for injured workers.

Here are some warning signs that an employer may be committing workers’ compensation fraud:

The company has a Certificate of Coverage for their workers’ comp insurance that displays incorrect data. For example, the period of coverage could be wrong.
If the name of the company does not match the type of work done by the business, something might be going on. Some companies – for example, construction or cleaning companies – have higher worker injury rates than others. Because of this, they try to hide the true nature of their work from insurers by selecting a business name that does not reveal the type of work their employees are really doing.
Some businesses falsify information about job titles, employee classifications and pay to avoid paying the correct amount of workers’ compensation insurance. If the number of employees working for the company does not match up with worker classifications and payroll, fraud could be happening.
Another way businesses avoid paying their fair share of workers’ comp insurance premiums is to report a significant payroll decrease, even though their revenue has remained stable or has gone up. This is a sign that the company is underreporting their payroll to cut their insurance premiums.
Some employers try to save money on their healthcare insurance costs by pushing workers to file workers’ comp claims for issues that are actually health related and have nothing to do with an on-the-job injury.
Conversely, some employers will try to avoid filing workers comp claims by discouraging employees from making claims or they will push them to treat their injuries like a health issue not related to the job.
If the company’s main business address is a post office box, the company may not be legitimate.

As you can see, there are many ways that employers try to game the system to avoid paying their fair share for workers’ comp insurance or workers’ comp claims. All this does is make it difficult for New York workers with real work-related injuries to claim much deserved benefits.

Get help for a workplace injury NOW

If you are fighting for workers’ comp benefits in New York and are having trouble getting fair treatment from your employer or the insurance company, stand up for your rights and hire an attorney. Please contact the skilled lawyers at Markhoff & Mittman TODAY to discuss your case and find out how we can help you.

Markhoff & Mittman, P.C.

14 Mamaroneck Avenue

Suite 400

White Plains, NY 10601

Toll Free: (866) 205-2415

Phone: (914) 946-1452

Fax: (914) 946-0810