Brisbane, 15 July 2016
| Date | 15 July 2016 |
|---|---|
| Charges | Attempted fraud and providing false and misleading information |
| Plea | Guilty |
| Facts | The worker lodged a claim for compensation for a muscle strain injury to his chest when he was lifting and moving food as part of his work. The worker attended the hospital and then saw his general practitioner twice in the week following the hospital attendance. He was certified fit for suitable duties. The worker then provided two additional medical certificates in letter form under his General Practitioner's name. These certificates were provided to the worker's employer and forwarded to the insurer on the worker's behalf. The General Practitioner confirmed the worker did not attend his practice at all on those dates and he did not create or sign these certificates. The worker subsequently denied writing the certificates himself and maintained he did see the doctor. The claim was rejected on the basis that it could not be proven that he suffered a work related injury. The worker was charged for attempting to defraud the insurer by providing false medical certificates to the insurer in an attempt to obtain payment of compensation to which he was not entitled. |
| Penalty | The worker was ordered to pay a fine of $900 |
| Restitution | $Nil |
| Costs | Workers' Compensation Regulators' costs - $5,105.73 |
| Conviction | Not Recorded |
| Consideration for Prevention | A worker should not provide false and misleading information/documents to an insurer to claim for compensation for which they may not otherwise be entitled to. An attempt to defraud is taken seriously by insurers and the Workers' Compensation Regulator. |