RICO Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Phoenix Firefighters for Workers Comp Bad Faith
PHOENIX (PRWEB) August 06, 2013 -- Arizona workers’ compensation bad faith law firm Doyle Raizner has filed suit against York Risk Services on behalf of eight City of Phoenix firefighters. York is a third-party administrator of workers compensation and managed employee workers’ compensation claims that promised to properly handle workplace injury claims on behalf of the City of Phoenix (Case 2:13-cv-01419-JWS). Click here to read the pleading in its entirety.
The suit has been filed as a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case in Federal District Court for the District of Arizona. The civil portion of RICO will hold York accountable for allegedly participating in a long term and ongoing scheme to delay and deny Arizona workers compensation benefits when York knew that they had no legitimate basis under the law and facts for doing so.
“We believe York systematically denied valid workers comp claims for first responders seriously injured in the line of duty,” asserted Michael Patrick Doyle. “The complaint alleges these men and women put their life and health on the line every day, and they counted on York to honor its commitments to timely and properly take care of their medical and financial needs if they got hurt. Unfortunately, this workers compensation claims handling company has shown a complete disregard for its legal and moral responsibilities.”
Workers compensation bad faith is a term used to describe the wrongful delays, denials and disputes insurance companies employ in order to avoid paying claims. These denials often cause serious impacts families both emotionally and financially. When a worker cannot work and is not being paid for their injury; bills mount often leading to foreclosure and other financial straits.
“Workers who have experienced an insurance company’s bad faith have recourse; they do not have to accept a wrongful decision. Our firm believes insurance is there for a time of need, and insurance companies aren’t supposed to create roadblocks or act as an adversary,” said Doyle.
The complaint alleges the wrongful denial of the City of Phoenix firefighters workers’ compensation claims resulted in delayed medical treatment and staggering debt. The complaint also alleges York Risk Services penalized a group of citizens who serve the City of Phoenix in dangerous situations and needed both financial support and medical treatment for injuries sustained during the scope of their employment.
Doyle Raizner is a national litigation firm with offices in Houston and Phoenix. Founding partners Michael Patrick Doyle and Jeff Raizner have built the practice on verdicts in favor of injured workers who are wrongfully denied claims and medical treatment. The firm’s other practice areas include pharmaceutical mass torts, property insurance bad faith and maritime law.
The firm is currently involved in litigation against KBR (The United States District Court for the District of Oregon; Case 3:09-CV-632-PK). The case is on appeal but the presiding judge entered an $81 million judgment in favor of 12 members of the Oregon National Guard exposed to harmful chemicals while deployed in Iraq.
If you have been injured on the job and your claim has been wrongfully delayed, denied or disputed, please contact an attorney at Doyle Raizner.
Jeff Raizner, Doyle Raizner LLP, http://www.doyleraizner.com, (713) 571-1146, [email protected]
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