OIEC Head, Ombudsmen to Confer on Plan

The head of Texas' agency which promotes the interests of injured workers in the workers' compensation system will hold a conference next week with state ombudsmen to discuss standardizing and improving service to claimants. Norman Darwin, head of the Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC), says the ombudsmen have been doing a commendable job of assisting claimants, but he wants to upgrade their skills. Under state law, the OIEC ombudsmen are charged with assisting workers in navigating the complexities of the workers' compensation system but do not represent injured workers in court. Th...