OIEC Looks to Upgrade Ombudsman Program

The head of the state agency representing the interests of injured workers says he plans to emphasize upgrading training for ombudsmen and possibly increasing their numbers. Norman Darwin, head of the Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC), told an Insurance Council of Texas seminar the ombudsman program "has historically been very successful as a means of providing assistance to injured workers." In 2005 the ombudsmen prevailed in 44.9% of the cases that they handled while injured workers with attorney representation prevailed in 54.9% percent of the cases they handled, Darwin reported. ...