How to protect your company from costly workers’ compensation claims

Protect How to Your Company

Workers’ comp benefits are paid to injured workers on the basis of a medical records review. Here are some ways to prevent costly claims.

from Costly Workers’ Compensation Claims

Workers’ comp benefits are paid to injured workers on the basis of a medical records review. Here are some ways to prevent costly claims.

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Workers’ compensation insurance is the practical way to protect your business from onthe-job injury claims from your employees. Especially in the case of a small business, payouts can bankrupt it if insurance coverage is not purchased. Workers’ comp insurance benefits are paid to injured workers on the basis of a comprehensive medical records review. Occupational injuries are among the most difficult to manage and can affect other areas of your business operations, HR, medical, finance and safety. To prevent injuries, you need to provide a safe work environment and also manage it. If you don’t have workers’ compensation insurance, you could be liable for paying the injured worker’s medical bills from your own pocket. These injuries are more than a mere financial burden.

They can also injure employee morale, interrupt your business operations, and create an unfriendly work environment.

A solid plan for workers’ compensation is indispensable in industries wherein there is even a slight chance of injury-causing accidents. These include high-risk industries such as those involving electrical work, construction and so on.

What are the workers’ compensation issues that can hurt your organization? It is most important to stay compliant with federal and state laws regarding workers’ compensation rights. Among the issues that can harm your business are the following: •

Terminating workers’ comp benefits

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Workers’ compensation fraud

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Workers’ comp claim appeals

There are certain effective measures employers can take to protect their organization from personal injury claims.

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Safety should be your highest priority: As an employer, you must maintain a safe workplace. For this, employers can hire safety consultants to conduct an audit of the workplace. The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in each state has significant safety programs and resources to support employers in this area.

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Stay compliant: Employers must ensure that their business is in compliance with their state Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s rules and regulations. For successful program and claims management, timely filing of forms, reports, updates and other data is vital. A TPA or Third Party Administrator can be used to coordinate with the Bureau.

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Ensure coordination with Human Resources: Your HR professionals can help you determine how the state and federal employment and discrimination laws and your

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workers’ comp program fit together. Claim-related issues can be sorted out with their help. Another way HR staff can help is with off-site light duty or transitional duty options to get employees back to work.

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Benchmarking is important: This will help determine whether you are really making progress in managing and reducing your workers’ compensation costs. It involves judging your performance in comparison with others. Benchmarking will provide you insight regarding how to strengthen the various aspects of your workers’ comp program in case there are shortfalls.

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Be organized: You must ensure your workplace is free of clutter to avoid physical injuries. All company vehicles must be inspected and maintained regularly. It is recommended to provide proper training to your employees, and do not allow workers to carry out tasks they are not trained or experienced in. Everyone in the organization must be well-versed in the company safety procedures. Regular staff meetings could help in addressing any issues.

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Provide immediate medical assistance: If an untoward event occurs, immediately ensure medical services for the injured employee. This will help in avoiding any major complications.

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Ensure overall vigilance and supervision: An employer can never be idle, or take things for granted. You should ensure overall supervision and vigilance regularly.

Any risks present should be identified immediately and the necessary precautionary measures taken.

Sometimes, you may be able to dispute a workers’ compensation claim such as in the following instances: •

There is reason to infer that the injury was self inflicted

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The claimant did not file within the appropriate time

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The injury is not work related

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The claimant did not go to the necessary doctor appointments

Preventive measures such as the above discussed, and a proactive attitude will help you to maintain a safe workplace. Whether you have ten employees or a thousand, an effective hands-on approach to your workers’ compensation program is vital. A workers’ compensation attorney can offer the right guidance in this regard and also help you avoid fraudulent injury claims that could damage your business and reputation.

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