CLAIM REPORTING
THE CLOCK IS TICKING ON YOUR CLIENT’ S CLAIM REPORTING
BY: MARK LYNCH, SENIOR REGIONAL CLAIM SPECIALIST & CLAIM TECHNICAL ANALYST, A. I. M. MUTUAL
Mark Lynch
Mark Lynch began his claim career in 1984 and has specialized in workers compensation since 1989. He has held supervisory as well as field positions and is currently Senior Regional Claim Specialist & Claim Technical Analyst for A. I. M. Mutual. Mark is licensed in MA, NH and VT and has extensive experience investigating and handling serious accidents and fatalities.
WORKERS’ compensation laws vary from state to state, but employers everywhere are interested in the same thing: controlling their costs and getting the best service for their premium dollars. Employers play a critical role in getting the ball rolling in both areas with the prompt submission of the initial report of injury.
In order to promptly submit the initial report, it is necessary for employers to create a culture that encourages injury reporting. Employees, supervisors, and managers all need to understand why expedient claim reporting is so important. Here are five top reasons: 1. Your Employee’ s Health
Delays in reporting can mean delays in diagnosis and treatment. That often results in a prolonged recovery time, impacting when( and if) an employee can return to work. A. I. M. Mutual may also lose the opportunity to help with initial treatment options. We can recommend an approved occupational health center, for instance, and provide valuable medical management and patient advocacy. It can make all the difference. 2. It Matters. To Everyone
If you take the full amount of time allowed by statute before notifying us, your injured worker may wait as long as 30 days before receiving a check. Remember, we need time on our end to investigate the claim and issue payment. Any delays cause anxiety for the injured worker, jeopardizing the trust and engagement needed for a faster, more successful return to work.
We also see a direct correlation between delayed claim reporting and attorney involvement. Sometimes injured workers seek legal advice out of a sense of frustration early in the process.
Consider, too, that co-workers care a great deal about how you treat an employee injured on the job. And if coworkers are assuming the extra workload, it’ s always best to facilitate a return-to-work plan as soon as possible. Nothing can happen without your First Report.
3. We Can Do Our Job It wasn’ t work related. Or was it? All too often, employers wrestle with uncertainty in workers’ compensation claims. Never wait! Let us determine whether the injury occurred on the job or if it’ s a lost-time case. It’ s what we do. And hoping a claim will go away on its own is never a good strategy. 4. The Investigation Isn’ t Compromised
Waiting can mean memory lapses among witnesses or workplace evidence vanishing. Our ability to determine compensability can be hampered if critical information is forgotten or destroyed. In fact, whenever possible, use your smartphone to take a few photos of the accident area right after the injury happens. Forward those photos to us to help with the claim investigation. Report a claim— whether major or minor— within 24 hours. 5. Time Equals Money
You may be subject to state fines and, in some cases, OSHA reporting violations if you miss claim filing deadlines. In addition, an injured worker is far more inclined to keep the communication channels open if the process goes quickly from the outset. Your involvement is the key to making an injured worker feel valued and needed back at work.
Reporting all claims quickly helps us investigate workplace accidents promptly and determine the root cause. We can then make safety and health recommendations for you to consider. These injury prevention measures help you avoid similar workplace accidents in the future, keep costs down, and effectively manage your workers’ compensation insurance program.
Ultimately, reporting claims promptly gets initial and ongoing treatment under way sooner, helping to limit the time an employee spends out of work and increasing the likelihood of a successful return to work.
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