June 14, 2012 (Press-News.org) The state of New York is showing a bit of flexibility with Long Island Rail Road retirees who may have filed false disability claims, allegedly in order to increase their pension payouts. The U.S. Attorney representing the Southern District of New York has given retirees until July 6, 2012, to admit wrongdoing in order to receive amnesty from potential prosecution. Meanwhile, LIRR management has stated that anyone not opting for the deal and found to have made false disability claims may be disqualified from receiving any part of their pension.
An investigation began in 2008, when a New York Times article scrutinized the high number of disability pensions awarded to Long Island Rail Road employees. LIRR employees can retire as young as 50 if they have served the railroad for more than 20 years. The investigation has brought to light nearly 870 LIRR employees between the ages of 50 and 55 who were awarded a disability pension between 2004 and 2008.
The case has spiraled to over 20 people who have been arrested and charged with faking disability claims in order to receive higher payouts in their pensions. Arrests include two physicians who are accused of providing false disability diagnoses. Prosecutors believe the false claims could have led to federal disability pension payouts in excess of $1 billion.
Many believe claims are up due to a 2007 decision making it easier for employees to qualify for the disability pension. The new law made it seem that any worker injured on the job could qualify for the pension.
In order to decide if one has a legitimate disability claim, one should ask:
- Did the injury occur on the job?
- Is the employee unable to perform their job due to this injury?
- Is the employee receiving ongoing medical treatment for this injury?
- Is the injury permanent and will it plague the employee throughout retirement?
An employee or retiree who meets these criteria, but who is accused of fraud, should stand up for his or her rights to benefits. Seeking legal counsel if you have been accused of wrongdoing, as the penalties for a conviction on these charges can be severe and life-changing.
Article provided by Brill Legal Group, P.C.
Visit us at www.brill-legal.com
New York to Rail Road Retirees: Admit Fraud or Face Charges
The state is asking Long Island Rail Road retirees to admit to filing fraudulent disability claims or face the possibility of criminal prosecution.
2012-06-14
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
UCSB scientists synthesize first genetically evolved semiconductor material
2012-06-14
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– In the not-too-distant future, scientists may be able to use DNA to grow their own specialized materials, thanks to the concept of directed evolution. UC Santa Barbara scientists have, for the first time, used genetic engineering and molecular evolution to develop the enzymatic synthesis of a semiconductor.
"In the realm of human technologies it would be a new method, but it's an ancient approach in nature," said Lukmaan Bawazer, first author of the paper, "Evolutionary selection of enzymatically synthesized semiconductors from biomimetic mineralization ...
Driver Crashes into Group of Motorcycle Riders
2012-06-14
One motorcyclist was killed and nine others were injured after a crash occurred on Highway 151 north of Fond du Lac. A car apparently crossed the centerline and hit 10 motorcycles around 3 p.m. on May 31st between Gladstone Beach Road and Welling Beach Road in the Town of Taycheedah. Of the riders, all from Michigan, three were critically injured, including a rider who went into cardiac arrest while being airlifted to a local hospital.
After investigating the crash, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office charged the driver of the car with homicide by negligent use of ...
Proposals to Make It Easier to Receive Black Lung Benefits Being Considered
2012-06-14
In an effort to make it easier for coal miners and their families to receive black lung benefits, the U.S. Department of Labor is considering proposed changes to the rules that govern the distribution of these disability benefits.
What Is Black Lung Disease?
Black lung disease, also known as coal worker's pneumoconiosis, occurs when coal workers breathe in dust from graphite, man-made carbon or coal for long periods of time. There is no specific treatment for the disease and it can lead to several complications, such as respiratory failure and chronic bronchitis.
Since ...
Real-life scientific tale of the first 'electrified snail'
2012-06-14
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 — The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') award-winning Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions podcast series describes the world's first "electrified snail," which now joins the menagerie of cockroaches, rats, rabbits and other animals previously implanted with biofuel cells that generate electricity — perhaps for future spy cameras, eavesdropping microphones and other electronics — from natural sugar in their bodies.
Based on a report by Evgeny Katz, Ph.D., and colleagues in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, ...
New York Personal Injury Lawyer from The Perecman Firm Praises Decision to Include Cancer Coverage Under Zadroga Act for 9/11 Responders
2012-06-14
New York personal injury lawyer David Perecman commends the recommendation by a federal panel to add 14 broad categories of cancer, including 50 specific types, to the list of ailments covered by the Zadroga Act. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health accepted the panel's recommendation, reported the New York Daily News (6/8/2012).
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/zadroga-act-cover-50-cancers-landmark-ruling-article-1.1092366#ixzz1xGWmCcI8
The original 2011 act earmarked $4.3 billion in funding for medical treatment programs for first responders ...
Ethics framework urged to manage conflicts of interest in medicine
2012-06-14
Montreal, June 13, 2012 – A recent international study led by researchers from McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) examines the complex and controversial interplay of conflicts of interest between physician experts, medicine and the pharmaceutical or medical device industry. The results of the analysis, which are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, aim to advance the management of conflicts of interest in medical guidelines.
"Over the last decade governments, medical specialty societies and academia have increasingly confronted ...
New York Medical Malpractice Lawyer from The Perecman Firm Comments on Medical Error Risk Following Death of Kidney Donor
2012-06-14
A New York woman died during a kidney transplant operation she was undergoing. She had wanted to donate the organ to her younger brother, Roberto Medina, the New York Post reported (6/8/2012).
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/kidney_hope_is_dashed_again_tGenmeWqNyPzTWtry2ywzO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Bronx
Yolanda Medina died after her aorta was cut during surgery at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, according to the New York Post.
Roberto Medina suffers from renal failure and has been on kidney dialysis since February. He never received his sister's ...
Anxious mice make lousy dads: study
2012-06-14
Normally, male California mice are surprisingly doting fathers, but new research published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology suggests that high anxiety can turn these good dads bad.
Unlike most rodents, male and female California mice pair up for life with males providing extensive parental care, helping deliver the pups, lick them clean, and keep them warm during their first few weeks of life. Experienced fathers are so paternal that they'll even take care of pups that aren't theirs. "If we place a male California mouse in a test cage and present ...
Normal bacterial makeup has huge implications for health, says CU professor
2012-06-14
For the first time a consortium of researchers organized by the National Institutes of Health, including a University of Colorado Boulder professor, has mapped the normal microbial makeup of healthy humans.
The team made up of 200 researchers from the Human Microbiome Project Consortium, or HMP, and based at 80 research institutions, reports that while nearly everyone carries pathogens -- which are microorganisms that cause illness -- pathogens cause no disease in healthy individuals. Instead, they co-exist with their host and the rest of the human microbiome, which is ...
The Rise in Healthcare Fraud Investigations by Bill Wirskye
2012-06-14
Healthcare fraud has been an investigative priority since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act established a National Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Control Program to coordinate Federal, State, and Local law enforcement regarding healthcare fraud and abuse in 1996. Since that time, the federal government has recovered over $18 billion for healthcare fraud and abuse. States have also ramped up their enforcement efforts, with Texas recovering $418 million in 2010.
If you are a provider currently under audit or investigation, you should retain an attorney ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Scientists show how to predict world’s deadly scorpion hotspots
ASU researchers to lead AAAS panel on water insecurity in the United States
ASU professor Anne Stone to present at AAAS Conference in Phoenix on ancient origins of modern disease
Proposals for exploring viruses and skin as the next experimental quantum frontiers share US$30,000 science award
ASU researchers showcase scalable tech solutions for older adults living alone with cognitive decline at AAAS 2026
Scientists identify smooth regional trends in fruit fly survival strategies
Antipathy toward snakes? Your parents likely talked you into that at an early age
Sylvester Cancer Tip Sheet for Feb. 2026
Online exposure to medical misinformation concentrated among older adults
Telehealth improves access to genetic services for adult survivors of childhood cancers
Outdated mortality benchmarks risk missing early signs of famine and delay recognizing mass starvation
Newly discovered bacterium converts carbon dioxide into chemicals using electricity
Flipping and reversing mini-proteins could improve disease treatment
Scientists reveal major hidden source of atmospheric nitrogen pollution in fragile lake basin
Biochar emerges as a powerful tool for soil carbon neutrality and climate mitigation
Tiny cell messengers show big promise for safer protein and gene delivery
AMS releases statement regarding the decision to rescind EPA’s 2009 Endangerment Finding
Parents’ alcohol and drug use influences their children’s consumption, research shows
Modular assembly of chiral nitrogen-bridged rings achieved by palladium-catalyzed diastereoselective and enantioselective cascade cyclization reactions
Promoting civic engagement
AMS Science Preview: Hurricane slowdown, school snow days
Deforestation in the Amazon raises the surface temperature by 3 °C during the dry season
Model more accurately maps the impact of frost on corn crops
How did humans develop sharp vision? Lab-grown retinas show likely answer
Sour grapes? Taste, experience of sour foods depends on individual consumer
At AAAS, professor Krystal Tsosie argues the future of science must be Indigenous-led
From the lab to the living room: Decoding Parkinson’s patients movements in the real world
Research advances in porous materials, as highlighted in the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise, presents a bold and practical framework for moving research from discovery to real-world impact
Biochemical parameters in patients with diabetic nephropathy versus individuals with diabetes alone, non-diabetic nephropathy, and healthy controls
[Press-News.org] New York to Rail Road Retirees: Admit Fraud or Face ChargesThe state is asking Long Island Rail Road retirees to admit to filing fraudulent disability claims or face the possibility of criminal prosecution.