TAMPA, FL--(Marketwire - Sep 22, 2011) - Paul Colbert has seen it all.

Colbert is a detective and founder of Meridian Investigative Group, a corporation that specializes in investigating workers' compensation fraud. He has seen people walk with crutches one day, and ride in a rodeo the next. While that may seem funny to some people, Colbert's concern is that people don't take workers' compensation fraud seriously.

"Workers' comp fraud costs the average consumer about $900 a year through increased insurance rates, increased healthcare costs and revenue stolen from their employers, which reduces their paychecks and bonuses," Colbert said.

Colbert's picked out a few of the more outrageous cases he has investigated as examples of his point. For legal purposes, the names have been changed. The videos revealing their fraud can be seen at www.migclaims.com.

• Kristy G: She alleged that her right foot was so injured that she couldn't walk for extended periods of time or be a productive member at her place of employment. Meridian's video caught her walking into the doctor's office with her crutches and ambulatory aid for her ankle. Later, she was videotaped walking around without the crutches and holding her boot in her hand, trying to hit someone with it and then stalking off quickly without any aid or signs of disability.
  
  
• Kathy V: Her alleged injury was to her neck and shoulders, and in her claim, she indicated that she gets regular injections in her arm for pain. Her pain was so severe, that she could not work. Meridian later videotaped her riding in a rodeo competition on two different occasions, after her date of injury.
  
  
• Eddie R: His alleged injury was to his back, left ankle and heel. Again, his injuries were to such a degree that he could not work anymore. Meridian's video captured Eddie handily pushing his pickup truck after it stalled.
  
  
• Burt F: Burt filed a claim indicating the he was allegedly legally blind due to his workplace injury, but apparently not blind enough to prevent him from working as a maintenance man at an apartment complex. He was captured on video driving a golf cart and performing maintenance duties.
  
  

About Paul Colbert

Paul Colbert is the president and CEO of Meridian Investigative Group and has more than a decade of investigative experience.