ROTTEN IN DENMARK

You might have thought that news of bad behavior in California’s workers’ comp system was hitting bottom.

After all, could it get worse? Allegations of legislators taking money to help charlatans who profited off of the backs of injured workers (literally). Scads of doctors alleged to have taken kickbacks for prescribing questionable compound medicines one of which allegedly killed a baby.

It appears that law enforcement authorities are now focusing on relationships between some applicant attorney firms and medical groups.

In Southern California the Riverside County DA has executed a search warrant against a workers’ comp firm, California Injury Lawyers (CIL). Apparently this is a result of a long investigation into suspected workers’ comp fraud, targeting operations allegedly connected to an individual named Peyman Heidary who is said to have a financial interest in as many as nine medical clinics in the Los Angeles area.

The details of the alleged bad behavior or fraud is unclear, and it must be noted that any allegations are currently just that, allegations.

But this case has the potential to involve a number of Southern California health care providers as well as some lawyers.

Meanwhile, last year’s workers’ comp bill AB 1309 seems to be the focus of new allegations in the federal case against State Senator Leland Yee. A grand jury indictment contains allegations that Yee suggested that in exchange for money from a pro football owner Yee could assist in the passage of AB 1309. Yee eventually voted in favor of AB 1309, which limits the ability of certain athletes to pursue works’ comp claims where they play for out of state teams or have limited California playing time.

We’ll see where that goes.

Stay tuned.

Julius Young