A Seattle-area man who faked having workplace injuries in an effort to obtain pain medications from local hospitals has been sentenced to 45 days in jail.

A Seattle-area man who faked having workplace injuries in an effort to obtain pain medications from local hospitals has been sentenced to 45 days in jail after being convicted on three counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance. In addition to the jail time, the man was also sentenced to pay various court fines, as well as an undisclosed restitution fee to the hospitals he targeted in his injury fraud scheme.

According to court documents associated with the case, the man had visited more than 12 different Seattle-area hospitals over the course of three years. During these visits, the man made more than 50 claims of workplace injuries, using different aliases and naming various employers, none of whom he had actually worked for. The goal of these hospital visits was to obtain potent pain medications to feed the man’s addiction. When officials from the Washington Department of Labor and Industries became involved in the case, they were able to determine the man’s true identity by cross-referencing the hospital documents with information in the Washington Department of Licensing.

State officials take fraudulent claims, such as those made by the man in this case, as well as fraud committed to try to obtain workers compensation benefits, extremely seriously. The reason is that such fraud not only undermines valid workplace injury claims, but it also deprives workers who are truly in need of medical care and financial compensation of the resources they need to recover from their legitimate work-related injuries.

If you have sustained a workplace injury and are considering (or in the process of) filing a workers compensation claim, it’s essential that you contact the Colorado workers compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick. Our legal professionals have a proven track record of success when it comes to securing our Clients the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and financial losses. For a thorough evaluation of your case, along with expert advice on the best manner in which to move forward, call us at (303) 447-2644.