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April 25, 2024
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April 23, 2024
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April 22, 2024
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On December 12th, just eighteen days ago, two veteran Los Angeles Police Department officers were arrested after an investigation by the LAPD’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Unit.

Jonathan Hall, a 19-year veteran, and Ralph Mendoza, a 13-year veteran, were arrested.   Hall surrendered in response to four felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud, insurance fraud, grand theft, and attempted perjury.  Mendoza surrendered on an arrest warrant listing two felony counts of workers’ compensation fraud and grand theft.

The investigators worked with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office to determine the officers had provided false testimony during depositions related to their industrial injury claims.  Bail for Jonathan Hall, age 45, was set at $80,000.  Bail for Ralph Mendoza, age 44, was set at $40,000. 

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck made the statement, “Public trust is at the very core of the police profession, and when that trust is violated we must employ every measure to restore it.  I am troubled whenever our officers are accused of violating that trust.  As the chief, it is my duty to ensure that we fully investigate these cases of alleged misconduct and to take appropriate action when the misconduct is found to be true.” 

A New York applicants’ attorney, Adnan Munawar, a partner at Munawar & Andrews-Santillo, released a statement and a Press Release today lauding investigators for not making an exception for officers of the law and condemning the alleged fraudulent activity. 

“Unfortunately,” Adnan Munawar stated in his press release, “fraudulent claims can also raise the general level of suspicion for all workers’ compensation claims, including ones that seem unquestionably valid. The result is usually an increase in delays and denials for people who are truly injured and need to be compensated.  This is just one of the many reasons why you should contact a lawyer immediately if you or someone you love is injured on the job.  A lawyer will tell you exactly how to proceed and will ensure that your claim is filed correctly and quickly.  If your claim is challenged, an attorney will know how to prove that your injury is job-related and you will have the best chances of receiving the maximum compensation possible. “

Not a bad sales pitch, and an opportunistic statement lauding the LAPD’s actions.  It's a pitch drawn from the true reality of claims departments being naturally worn and jaded over the preponderance of fraud.    Because of the extensiveness of fraud, it is most natural for claims departments to be more prone to suspicion.   And, yes, claims adjusters’ defensiveness can often be quite palpable.   If they weren’t on the defensive, fraud would take an even more brutal toll. 

Claims department managers try hard to counter an argument of Adnan Munawar’s type by discouraging their claimants from seeking representation by attorneys.   This writer remembers well John Riggs’ discussion to discourage a proliferation of state-mandated forms, especially ones that encourage and spout too much about a claimant’s right to representation by an attorney.   John Riggs is the Workers’ Compensation Manager of Disney Resorts based in Anaheim, California, which is a large self-insured, self-administered entity. 

Naturally, claimant representation by an attorney adds to the cost of a claim.  Riggs, as the claims manager of a large self-insured, prefers to keep litigation rates down and to communicate to his injured employees that their claims will be handled expeditiously. 

lonce@adjuster.com; article penned by journalist Lonce LaMon.  © Lonce LaMon and adjustercom; all rights reserved.