Ohio doctor ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution to

• Columbus doctor was ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation after pleading guilty to workers’ comp fraud and forgery, both fourth-degree felonies.
• After receiving two allegations from a managed care organization concerning Lawrence E. Wells, billing for services not rendered, BWC opened an investigation.
• Throughout the investigation, evidence showed that Dr. Wells billed BWC for services that were not administered and overcharged for services that resulted in an overpayment.
• The evidence collected consisted of statements from patients and medical records showing Dr. Wells was out of state when he billed services.
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Report reveals how to be safer

• Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2023 Safety Performance Report, an annual guide to safety best practices on construction job sites.
• Companies that conduct an in-depth indoctrination of new employees into the safety culture, systems, and processes based on a documented orientation process experience incident rates that are 48% to 52% lower than companies that limit their orientations to basic health and safety compliance topics.
• Robust substance abuse prevention programs/policies with provisions for drug and alcohol testing where permitted lead to a 59% reduction in total recordable incident rates and a 62% reduction in days away.
• Companies that conduct daily toolbox talks reduce TRIR by 78% and DART rates by 76% compared to companies that hold them monthly.
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Window company not liable for driver injuries

• U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Oregaib dismissed that shipping company Jeld-Wen was liable for a worker’s injuries because the shipping company was hired to perform the service.
• Gary Groeneweg claimed in the lawsuit that he was struck in the head while unloading a stack of windows.
• He was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken neck and a laceration to his head.
• Six months prior, he slipped while unloading, and windows fell on him. He filed a workers’ compensation claim following the incident, but his lawsuit was later overturned.
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Fourteen arrested for workers’ comp fraud

• An investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, among other agencies led to the arrest of 14 people in connection with a workers’ compensation fraud/unlicensed contractor sting.
• The purpose of the operation was to address unlicensed contractors working without the required contractor license and engaging in construction class work without the required workers’ compensation insurance exemptions.
• In one arrest, a man was contracted to convert a bathtub to a shower, which would have included reworking plumbing piping, installing lights, and running new wires in exchange for $3,500, but he was not registered or certified as a contractor.
• In another case, a man arrived at the house to remove a water tank and replace it with a new hot water system in exchange for $1,800, despite being unlicensed.
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