Former Manager Says Tribal Comp Program Left 200 Claimants Behind

A bankrupt staffing firm that sold a "tribal" workers' compensation coverage plan to dozens of California employers left behind more than 200 permanent disability claims with an estimated $5 million in liabilities, the former underwriter and claims manager for the company told WorkCompCentral.Roberta Garrett said her employer, Independent Management Resources, operated for years with no reinsurance and no real claims reserves. She said in July 2006 -- only a month after starting with the company -- she warned state Department of Insurance fraud investigators about her suspicions that the c...