| Workers Compensation costs are a crisis for | | | | worse, they did. We started down hill. It |
| US businesses today. Many states have passed | | | | turns out that going up was a walk in the |
| major reforms to try to ease the burden on | | | | park compared to going down. And this is why |
| businesses. One reason Workers Comp costs | | | | they provide extra low gearing on the |
| are so high is because of fraud. Some people | | | | vehicles recommended for this road. Thank |
| claim they are completely disabled, and | | | | goodness I had all the film I needed, because |
| collect monthly disability checks, when they | | | | it was now necessary, actually vital, that I |
| are actually completely able to work or do | | | | concentrated on bringing my rental vehicle |
| other physical activity. Insurance fraud is | | | | back instead of leaving it several thousand |
| against the law, and it hurts everyone by | | | | feet down the vertical cliff on the right. |
| raising insurance premiums. | | | | |
| | | | "After a few miles, I was thinking that I |
| ( sponsored by independent investigators | | | | was getting the hang of this and would live |
| David Morse & Associates, gives information | | | | until tomorrow. Then, while negotiating a |
| and resources on how to fight insurance | | | | small stream that crossed the mule trail and |
| fraud. The site also features stories of | | | | drops off the edge into oblivion, I got a |
| successful investigations that have resulted | | | | flat tire. As I got out of the vehicle and |
| in the bust of a fraud perpetrator. And when | | | | stepped into 6 inches of freezing cold water, |
| a fraud perpetrator is busted, that helps to | | | | I realized that I was still suffering from |
| bring insurance premiums down. | | | | oxygen deprivation, quickly found a place to |
| | | | sit down as far from the edge as possible and |
| Over the years, David Morse & Associates | | | | put my head between my knees. |
| investigators have been led on many unusual | | | | |
| excursions by subjects in the course of their | | | | "For those of you who have not experienced |
| personal activities, unaware that they had | | | | the attempt to breathe at 12,000 feet above |
| investigative company. But this case exceeds | | | | sea level, let me give you a brief |
| all others in both altitude and difficulty. | | | | description. The body feels very heavy, there |
| | | | are pains everywhere, particularly the head |
| Fraud Busting at 12,000 Feet | | | | and heart, and one wonders how a function |
| | | | like breathing that one took for granted |
| Andy Schwarz, Investigations Manager Los | | | | suddenly became an Olympic competition. |
| Angeles | | | | |
| | | | "After some minutes of sitting there it came |
| "Our subject had been collecting benefits | | | | to me that I had to change this tire. But I |
| for some time based on his assertion of total | | | | was too exhausted to even look for the jack, |
| disability. I started in Denver at the | | | | let alone get it out of the car. Slowly it |
| subject's address. Turned out his wife was | | | | dawned on me that I was in trouble and toward |
| there, but the male individual we got on film | | | | the end of afternoon it is going to get |
| was not the subject. Too bad we weren't doing | | | | really, really cold. Just then another off |
| divorce work - I could have closed the file. | | | | road vehicle came down the hill and stopped. |
| | | | The driver and passengers offered to help |
| "A canvass of the neighborhood turned up the | | | | which I thankfully accepted. They changed my |
| fact that the subject was living in the | | | | tire and cheerfully sent me on my way down in |
| mountains five hours west of Denver. I | | | | front of them. |
| arrived late that afternoon and immediately | | | | |
| obtained film of the subject working under an | | | | "It seemed like the worst must be over. But |
| old car, crouching, crawling, bending and | | | | then I hit the switchbacks, hairpin turns in |
| lifting objects of varying weight and size. | | | | the road as it snakes down a place where no |
| Our subject was looking pretty spry. | | | | road should ever go. I made the first, but on |
| | | | the second I went into it just a hair too |
| "I quit at dusk and return the next morning. | | | | fast and the back end of the jeep got loose, |
| Our subject and friends depart in a jeep and | | | | finding gravel over near the edge. The hair |
| head out of town. And then uphill, a very | | | | on my arms was standing straight up as I |
| steep hill on a very old and tattered dirt | | | | planned a leap from the jeep - and then it |
| road. Fortunately the subject and myself | | | | stopped. Even after catching my breath, no |
| were not the only ones putting our vehicles | | | | easy task at this altitude, I could not bring |
| through their paces on this mountain trail, | | | | myself to start back down. |
| and I could follow without appearing out of | | | | |
| place. | | | | "My benefactors from the tire changing in |
| | | | the stream showed up moments later. From the |
| "I had rented a jeep for this assignment and | | | | position of the jeep and my very pale |
| I was thinking that was a particularly | | | | complexion, they know exactly what happened. |
| brilliant move on my part. I found out later | | | | An older gentleman from the party took |
| that standard issue jeeps and other | | | | control, offered to drive me down the hill, |
| 4-wheel-drive models are not recommended for | | | | and I was saved. It was during this part of |
| this trail, only vehicles fitted with special | | | | the trip that I learned we have just crossed |
| protective plates underneath and special low | | | | Black Bear Pass, one of the more difficult |
| gearing in order to ease wear and tear on the | | | | off-road adventures available in the United |
| brakes coming down. But as we started up I | | | | States, and one which kills four or five |
| was oblivious to my under-equipped condition. | | | | people every year. I learned about the |
| | | | modifications made to vehicles to be used in |
| "As we proceeded the road was getting worse | | | | such adventures. And of course I learned a |
| but I was getting great film of the subject's | | | | lot about my benefactors, a family that makes |
| vehicle performing superbly in difficult | | | | the trek twice a year and has been doing so |
| conditions and rattling its contents | | | | for 15 or 20 years. |
| (including the subject) severely. I got film | | | | |
| of stops at look-outs and our subject's | | | | "Someone put the oxygen back into the air |
| confident maneuvers on foot over, around and | | | | and I found my disposition remarkably |
| on large rocks. | | | | improved. I was alive and without broken |
| | | | bones, and the pains in the head and muscles |
| "The road was now a mule trail with a sheer | | | | were distant memories. The car rental company |
| drop off on one side, cliffs on the other. It | | | | did not notice the permanent indentations my |
| was getting very cold and I was having | | | | fingers left in the steering wheel. Life is |
| trouble with the thin air. Turning the wheel | | | | good. Best of all, I had film and the subject |
| felt like hauling a hundred-pound sack from | | | | is well and truly busted." |
| side to side. | | | | |
| | | | Another victory for truth, justice and lower |
| "Just when I thought conditions cannot get | | | | insurance premiums. |