Wednesday, 15 August 2007 01:37
District Attorney's Workman's Comp Fraud Unit Makes National Headlines
The Worker’s Compensation
Fraud Unit headed by the
Amador County District attorney’s office is making National headlines
for a worker’s compensation case with a twist. This case is not your typical
employee claiming an on the job injury. This case involved two managers accused of discouraging employees
from reporting actual on the job claims.
Two managers from the Roseville Bel
Air Market have been arraigned after
state and Amador County investigators alleged the pair
committed multiple felony counts of workers' compensation insurance fraud.
BelAir store manager Nichole Leddy and her assistant store manager Amy Looper,
allegedly discouraged injured employees at the Bel Air Market from filing
workers' compensation claims,. The pair is accused of instructing injured employees to seek medical
treatment through their private companied sponsored health plans. A
press release from the specialized unit states that the investigation, "revealed
that Leddy and Looper allegedly
discouraged multiple employees from filing claims in order to keep the store
record injury-free and earn special store incentives, including
barbecues and bonuses for management," the news release said. "The
complaint against the managers states that one injured employee was allegedly
given cash from the store fund to cover co-payments for private health
insurance coverage. Another employee was allegedly instructed to inform her
private doctor that an on-duty work injury had occurred at home." The
investigation began after the unit received an anonymous tip in March 2007.