Can an employer be accused of workers compensation fraud?
The Workers’ Compensation Court is authorized to impose sanctions and penalties. It is unlawful for an employer to willfully misrepresent or not disclose information to an insurer to obtain insurance at lower rates; to make or cause to be made any knowingly false statement for the purpose of obtaining or denying compensation; to fail to report earnings during the payment of compensation benefits; to make knowingly false statements regarding an employee’s right to benefits and to knowingly assist and abet, solicit, or conspire to coerce an employee to willfully represent their status as a corporate officer or independent contractor to avoid workers’ compensation coverage required or to decrease premium. These are a partial listing of offenses. See Section 28-33-17.3 of the RI Workers’ Compensation Law.
