The Connection Magazine The Connection Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 6

GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Responding To
Workplace Trauma
In Workers’
Compensation
Claims
BY: DOTTIE TATOIAN,
SR. REGIONAL CLAIM SPECIALIST, A.I.M. MUTUAL
A WORKPLACE shooting. A power plant
explosion. A life-threatening ladder fall.
Cases involving workplace trauma are
among the most demanding, emotional, and
complex we see. Regional claim specialists
are on scene within hours after the first
report, helping the injured worker, family
members, and employer with whatever the
circumstances demand. We’re there at the
beginning and for the duration. That often
means facilitating weeks, months, and
sometimes years of medical treatment,
arranging for family support, and working
closely with the employer and employee
every step of the way.
Just as important are the coworkers who
may have been there. We know witnesses
often need medical attention as well.
“BY LAW, THE INSURER HAS
A LIMITED AMOUNT OF
TIME IN WHICH TO DO ITS
INVESTIGATION. THE CLOCK
TICKS EVEN THOUGH WE HAD
INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE IN
SHOCK AND AN EMPLOYEE
WHO WAS INPATIENT AND NOT
ACCESSIBLE.”
In my experience, we get to know many of
the people involved on a personal level, and
years later, it’s not unusual to get a check-in
call from someone who was there. Each of
the situations described below was an actual
event and a workers’ compensation case for
A.I.M. Mutual. Each of these policyholders
was amazing under duress and stayed in
close touch with their injured workers.
Here’s how we responded to these events
in Claims, with names omitted for privacy.
Workplace Violence – Onsite Shooting
Background: A driver for a trucking
company we insure shot and killed his
girlfriend. He then drove to his workplace
in the middle of the night where he shot
and wounded the overnight warehouse
supervisor. Wrestled to the ground by the
supervisor, the driver managed to escape.
The supervisor is credited with saving the
lives of two other workers nearby.
Not surprisingly, the coworkers were
traumatized. The supervisor, hospitalized
with lacerations to the face and bullet
wounds to the hand and neck, was placed
under protective custody until the shooter
was arrested one week later.
A.IM. Mutual’s Role: We worked with the
insured throughout this difficult period.
The claim staff met with each worker on
that shift, explaining the process and the
benefits available under the state workers’
compensation statute. We encouraged
each person, including the General Manager,
6
to reach out to me or to the adjuster with
questions. Company owners met with
employees and kept the business running as
smoothly as possible while also responding
to the needs of survivors and staff.
In the meantime, we conducted our
investigation to determine if this was a
compensable claim. By law, the insurer has
a limited amount of time in which to do its
investigation. The clock ticks even though
we had individuals who were in shock and
an employee who was hospitalized and
not accessible. Was there any connection
between the warehouse supervisor and the
driver’s girlfriend? If yes, was this driver’s
anger triggered by this connection? What
about the witnesses? These questions
needed answers.
As the insurer, we concluded the two
shootings appeared unrelated, and we
were able to approve the claim involving the
warehouse supervisor. Physically unharmed,
the two coworkers were offered counseling
services. One employee returned to work
the next day, while the other took more time.
Today, all three still work at the trucking
company in their regular capacities; the
warehouse supervisor works modified duty.
Workplace Accident – Plant Explosion
Background: Emergency claims on
a holiday come in to our Claim Director,
Laurie Parsons. She called me after being