Florida uninsured employer jailed for fraud after two deaths

December 1st, 2004 by Julie Ferguson

In August, we wrote about a terrible construction accident in Florida that claimed two lives. Five other workers, including a 13-year old boy, were injured when a roof collapsed as concrete was being poured. A $2.4 million fine was imposed, and state authorities subsequently shut down the contractor when it was learned that the company did not carry mandatory workers compensation insurance.
Last week, the owner of Macs Construction and Concrete Inc. was jailed. Insurance Journal reports that failure to provide workers compensation coverage is a felony and, if convicted, the employer faces up to five years in prison.
“When workers show up to perform a job, they deserve to be protected in case they get injured. This terrible accident is a perfect example of why workers’ compensation is so important,” said Gallagher, who oversees DFS. “Employers who don’t protect their workers will be held accountable.”
In addition to the obvious and terrible toll that employees face when employers lack coverage, other employers pay the price as well. Competitors face unfair competition, and insured employers generally face higher premiums to cover state costs for any benefits provided to workers.
Jordan Barab at Confined Space also discusses this story. He notes the irony that the charges against the employer stem from lack of insurance rather than the unsafe practices that caused the deaths of the workers.
Related items:
Felony for willful safety violations – legislation gaining traction?.
Jobs that lure Mexican workers to the U.S. are killing them
More on immigrant workers

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