Archive for: Claims Management & Return to Work

One of the overarching principles of workers’ comp cost control is early reporting and intervention. About fifteen years ago, a groundbreaking study by the Hartford Financial Services Group found that injuries reported between the 4th and 5th week following an injury are 45% more expensive than those reported in the first week. While the details […]

According to an article in Business Insurance (September 14, 2015), injured employees are more likely to win retaliation claims because comp cases have a lower burden of proof and there is empathy for the injured worker. It is not only the termination of an employee that triggers a claim; it could be any employment action […]

Ice and snow-related slip and fall workers’ comp claims nearly doubled and represented one-third of claims involving time away from work last year in the Midwest area, which had a particularly harsh winter. In five Midwest states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota, and Illinois winter-related slips and falls claims averaged 29% of all workers’ comp […]

Workers’ Compensation rates have been trending downward, as have the number of job-related injuries. Even injuries totaling $50,000 or more dropped for the first time in 2005. But before we let loose the balloons and congratulate ourselves on what is clearly a notable achievement for American business, there’s another side of the story that deserves […]

“We’ve got an employee who’s abusing the system and we’re just about fed up. So are our people.” Every insurance agent has heard these words from frustrated employers who are certain injured workers are taking advantage of the Workers’ Compensation system. While we all know such abuses occur, they may be far less frequent than […]

In a perfect world, every injured worker would be treated by a physician trained in Occupational Medicine, one who understands how to facilitate recovery and expedite return to work. However, it’s not unusual for employers and employees to be dealing with a family or urgent care practitioner who has little or no training in Occupational […]

The fact that there is an obesity epidemic in the United States is evident everywhere. A movie theatre seat has grown from an average of 19 inches to 23 inches wide, revolving doors from six feet to eight feet wide, and supermarket aisles have expanded from five feet to seven feet, not to accommodate overweight […]

As we head into the New Year, this is a perfect time to take a step back and look at your Workers’ Compensation program. By assessing its strengths and weaknesses, you create a blueprint of potential dangers that could easily result in higher insurance premiums. To help you avoid higher premiums, we have put together […]