Los Angeles County launched a bus sign campaign Thursday to warn people about workers’ compensation fraud as officials said fake claims are plaguing the region.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will place a sign on LA Metro buses, warning people against faking work-related injuries while urging them to report any fraudulent claims.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said there are often multiple layers of fraud: a worker may exaggerate an injury. A medical provider may assist in filing the fake claim. And an attorney may process the claim. Hochman said his office will go after all parties involved in fake work injury claims.
“The three words are going to echo across this county on these (Metro) buses: we will prosecute,” the DA said.
One of the recent fraudulent workers’ comp claims was filed by an LA Metro bus driver, Hochman said, as she staged an accident, claiming she injured her ankle while on the job.
What the driver didn’t think about was the LA Metro buses are equipped with audio and video recording devices. They captured her conversation with a coworker as the driver said she was going to fake a fall to file for workers’ comp, according to Hochman.
“The actual video will show in court of her actually faking the fall, and then later claiming a workers’ compensation accident, for which she asked for money back,” the DA said. “That is a type of fake staged accident that we will prosecute.”
Another fake claim came from an LAPD officer, who was recently charged with felony insurance fraud, Hochman said.
After reporting an elbow injury at work, Officer Christopher Brandon Carnahan of Norwalk went on disability. While picking up disability checks, Carnahan is accused of actively engaging in physical activities, including completing “many skydives” at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore and working out at a fitness center.
Hochman said Los Angeles is one of the top three cities in the nation for fake workers’ compensation accidents and claims, after Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Florida.
“Our goal is to protect legitimate workers that if they do get injured, to make sure that workers’ compensation is there to be that lifeline, so they can get back in the workforce,” Hochman said. “To do that, we’re going to go after the dishonest actors in this system that are causing this multi-million dollar fraud that we experience every single year.