Owning a construction company can bring in a substantial amount of income, but there are also risks involved in such an industry. If you hire employees to perform the construction work, there is also the risk that one of them will get hurt on the job and need financial assistance. Not only do many construction jobs involve working at high heights, but the equipment that is used can also be dangerous. However, due to the money that is involved with the construction industry, it isn't uncommon for workers to file false claims to obtain money that they don't deserve. This article discusses how a lawyer with a concentration on construction can assist if you found out that one of your employees filed a false claim.
Prove the Injury isn't Real
The first step to contesting a false claim is to prove that your employee wasn't really injured while performing construction work. If the injury actually did take place but wasn't as severe as claimed, you must be able to prove it as well. If you get the help of a construction lawyer, he or she can hire a private investigator to keep a watch on your employee. The investigator will basically monitor the actions of your employee to find out if he or she has been carrying out tasks that were allegedly difficult due to the injury. For example, if your employee claimed that he or she is unable to lift anything, the investigator will try to obtain video evidence that he or she can actually perform such tasks.
Discover Past Claims
Another part of proving your case is to find out if your employee has a history of filing injury claims with employers, especially those that involve construction work. If your employer has filed even one other injury claim in the past that turned out to be false, it can make your case a lot stronger. A lawyer will discover every employer the other party has worked for in the past and attempt making contact with them. He or she will also search court records to gather the right kind of evidence. If solid evidence is able to be gathered, you can then move forward with terminating your employee and taking other actions.
Inform Your Insurance Provider
The bad thing about claims that are filed by employees is that it can cause your insurance rate to go up. If you noticed an increase in your insurance after your employee falsely filed a claim and received benefits, it is worth informing your provider about the situation. A lawyer can contact your insurance provider on your behalf in an effort to bring the rate back down.
