CSAA secures judgment in fraud suit against chiropractor.SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 1994--In a victory in the fight against auto insurance fraud, the California State Automobile Association The California State Automobile Association is a motor club dedicated to improving roads, proposing traffic laws and improvement of overall driving conditions. It was founded in 1907 as an offshoot of the Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) to serve members in Northern Inter-Insurance Bureau (CSAA-IIB) sued a practicing chiropractor chiropractor a practitioner in chiropractic. chiropractor A health professional trained in chiropractic; chiropractors do not perform surgery or prescribe drugs; of 50,000 licensed chiropractors in the US, many practice 'straight' chiropractic, ie for submitting phony bills -- and won. Alan Burke Alan Burke was a conservative talk show host who was on the air primarily in New York from 1966 to 1969. He was a pioneer of the confrontational style where he would attack or insult his guest and plant ringers in the audience who would attack the guest. , an El Sobrante chiropractor, has conceded to a judgment of $200,000. Since 1985, Burke, doing business as Hilltop Chiropractic chiropractic (kīrəprăk`tĭk) [Gr.,=doing by hand], medical practice based on the theory that all disease results from a disruption of the functions of the nerves. Accident and Industrial Clinic, may have bilked hundreds of thousands of dollars from insurance companies. CSAA-IIB was determined to retrieve money paid on behalf of its policyholders -- and to send a clear signal to those practicing fraud. "This case should send a clear and unequivocal message to corrupt professionals: participate in fraud, and you will pay the price," said J. Michael Siebert, vice president and general manager of the CSAA-IIB. Thomas E. Fraysse, the attorney handling the case for CSAA-IIB, cited examples of Burke's activities: -- Forging and photocopying signatures in patient files; -- Overbilling; -- Billing for services not rendered; -- Billing for the sale of medical equipment which was never received by the patient. When CSAA-IIB learned of this activity, it resolved to go after Burke in spite of the cost and difficulty because of its responsibility to fight auto insurance fraud, which costs California consumers over a billion dollars each year, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. estimates. In 1991, Burke was convicted in a criminal case of felony insurance fraud. Following trial, the Alameda County Superior Court Judge commented: "The office practices of Dr. Burke evidence a clear intention by Dr. Burke to engage in a widespread scheme of insurance fraud." "I am proud of what we accomplished in this case. I am shocked, however, that although he was convicted of a felony in 1991, and agreed to a settlement in this fraud case, he is still a practicing chiropractor," Fraysse concluded. CSAA-IIB provides insurance on a not-for-profit basis to members of the California State Automobile Association, the AAA AAA: see American Automobile Association. (Triple A) A common single-cell battery used in a myriad of electronic devices of all variety. Like its double A (AA) cousin, it provides 1.5 volts of DC power. When used in series, the voltage is multiplied. auto club in Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern and Nevada. It insures nearly two million vehicles. CONTACT: California State Automobile Association, Sacramento
Barry Shiller, 415/565-2291
Rich Shrader, 415/565-2293
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