Missouri Department Of Labor Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Resulting In Felony Conviction

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workerscompensationinfo.com/press/articles/article.php?article_id=1066

Published 04-23-2008

Jefferson City, MO (CompNewsNetwork) - The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in favor of a class D felony conviction of Robert Salter of St. Louis. Salter was sentenced to one year in prison, fined $5,000 and was assigned an additional $25,000 penalty for failure to maintain workers' compensation insurance.

This is an important victory for Missouri workers who depend on workers' compensation insurance in the event they are injured on the job,� said Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Director Todd Smith. �I am pleased by this ruling and hope this outcome sends a strong message to others who have malicious intent on breaking the law; justice has been served.�

Salter had appealed his conviction to the Missouri Supreme Court, but in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court affirmed Salter's conviction, holding that he was responsible for the acts committed.

In the state of Missouri, businesses with five or more employees are required to carry workers' compensation insurance. Construction employers with one or more employees must buy coverage. Those businesses who fail to carry workers' compensation insurance are deemed noncompliant with the law.

The total number of workers' compensation fraud and noncompliance cases referred for prosecution is based on several factors. To prosecute cases of fraud, there has to be proof of the intent to gain a benefit. Fraud is committed when an employee, employer, healthcare provider or others, lie to obtain a benefit � monetary or otherwise.

To ensure compliance with workers' compensation laws, the Fraud and Noncompliance Unit within the Missouri Department of Labor's Division of Workers' Compensation conducts confidential investigations of allegations of workers' compensation fraud and noncompliance. If fraud or noncompliance is evident, the case is referred for prosecution.

Workers' compensation insurance ensures that workers have they coverage they need, when they need it. For more information about workers' compensation, visit http://www.dolir.mo.gov/wc/index.asp.