The Dark Knight Rises

Friday, February 1, 2013 | 0

Are you the Dark Knight rising in your company fighting the good fight? There are numerous obstacles that can arise during the work comp claim process. If not handled with finesse from the beginning, a feeling of enmity may ensue. Now you are up against [Bain], or the dreaded attorney.

The Injured Worker

Imagine you have been injured on the job, you have notified your supervisor and visited the clinic as directed. It has been several days and you have not heard from your employer or the insurance carrier. You’re wondering: IS MY CLAIM COVERED? IS MY JOB GOING TO BE THERE? HOW WILL I PAY MY BILLS? DOES ANYONE CARE? Sound Familiar?

Silence is not golden!

An employer who does not communicate, creates unnecessary work comp problems! Workers may incorrectly think their claim is going to be denied. The WCRI (Workers Compensation Research Institute) completed a study on why workers hire work comp lawyers prematurely. Forty-six percent of the workers surveyed thought their claims were being contested. Of course the paperwork has just begun, and everyone  is working towards the injured worker receiving proper medical treatment. Decisions about the claim can take time.  If you have worked with an insurance company, especially when it involves claims, you know this. The process can take days, months (ouch) before everyone is on the same page. Consequently a family may panic when they don’t hear from anyone.

Attorneys (Bain of our lives)

If an attorney becomes involved, the whole thing will take longer and probably cost more money. So who should be communicating with the worker? The employer, supervisor! What is appreciated by your injured worker is comfort and communication regarding resources that help them understand how the process works and what is going to happen next. Another interesting part of the study was an employer who has a smaller business might be able to know everyone in the workplace by name. These smaller companies around 200 employees or less, find that work comp problems are much easier to solve. This results in a more personal atmosphere.

It is your responsibility

To make sure the process of the claim does not “fall through the cracks," have a protocol where all parties relevant to the claim know the details and are working to return the injured party to their job. Now the worker will come to you with a problem, perhaps bypassing the attorney all together. The main component of this article is to handle claims in an efficient, informative and caring manner. File your claims promptly, be open and sincere with your employee and listen to the problems they might have. That is the way you end up as the hero. BATMAN!

Red Hollingsworth is a risk management consultant for employers in Salt Lake City, Utah. This column was reprinted with his permission from his Work Comp Wednesdays blog.