From WorkCompCentral comes this entertaining news – one of the ‘stars’ of the TV show AxMen got busted for work comp fraud. [sub req]
No, he wasn’t spotted hosting a Mensa meeting.
The alleged fraudster, one Jimmy Smith, has been receiving what appears to be PPD benefits (that’s permanent and partial disability for you non-work comp geeks out there) for over three years. According to the L&I’s (the Washington state work comp fund) fraud blog, Smith had two injuries back in the mid-nineties, injuries so severe that he no longer could work.
Jimmy’s just a good ole boy with a green heart and a sense of history: “I’ve got a thing about not killing tress, I’m a fourth generation logger, and I figured this would be a way to give back what my ancestors prob’ly took.” Yep, he’s a bigger than life figure, and he knows it “we’re normal guys, doing extraordinary things”.
Looks like one of those ‘extraordinary things’ was cashing disability checks while running a logging operation. And Jimmy wasn’t just sitting behind a desk. Nope our hero was out there every day, pushin’ and pullin’, cussin’ and a-yellin’, showing the young guys just how it was done.
Jimmy’s the guy in the water pulling on the rope…
Jimmy wasn’t just managing and directing. In one of the shows, Mr Smith put on SCUBA gear, jumped into the water, put heavy chains around logs, and ran a winch and a boat to drag the logs up out of the river. Not exactly “sedentary” activity – the highest exertion level he had alleged he could handle when filing for permanent disability.
He even shows his scars – one where his diaphragm was ripped loose, another from what he says was a compound fracture of both bones in the lower leg – and describes the injuries in detail, quite proud of his dedication to being “the best there is.”
Hard to see how anyone could work at a job as strenuous and exhausting as underwater logging after those horrible injuries – Jimmy’s one tough guy.
He’ll need to be, because his next starring role may be in ‘Lock-Up’.
The Ax-Men part of Jimmy’s reality TV star run may be coming to an abrupt end. Court documents indicate he’s facing over ten years of potential jail time and fines of over twenty thousand dollars.
Feb
10
Im a medical case manager with workers comp and I see this too; if he was disabled and could not work, benefits are certainly due. However, this is outright FRAUD. It happens way too often!!
I do not condone fraud. Seems this guy might be on the outer fringe, but what happens after a case is settled with a permanent disability award? Is the claimant not allowed to rehab him/herself? Is he/she not allowed to go back to work? Because money is paid, is the claimant obligated to staying impaired for the rest of their lives? Which jurisdiction has made it possible to draw a bright line in these circumstances?