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Washington Man Ordered to Repay Workers' Comp System

Feb. 21, 2002

Washington's Department of Labor and Industries has ordered a 54-year-old Vashon, Wash., man to repay nearly $60,000 in workers' compensation benefits he fraudulently collected by claiming he was injured and unable to work.

EHS Today Staff

Washington''s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has ordered a 54-year-old Vashon, Wash., man to repay workers'' compensation benefits he fraudulently collected by claiming he was injured and unable to work.

Terrill Myers was caught when L&I fraud investigators cross-matched their records with records from the state Department of Employment Security.

Myers was injured in November 1995 while working as a church custodian in Seattle. An investigation by L&I found that in 1999 and 2000, Myers worked as a bookkeeper. During that same period, Myers reported to L&I that he was unable to work because of his on-the-job injury.

As a result of that claim, Myers collected about $39,000 in benefits, including money for vocational retraining and travel. L&I ordered Myers to repay $59,600. In administrative fraud cases, state law allows L&I to assess a 50 percent penalty.

L&I manages the workers'' compensation system in Washington. It oversees premium payments and benefits for about 160,000 employers and 1.8 million workers.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.