To do that, you need to know a bit about the law and about medicine to create an efficient workers compensation program.
Most business owners lack extensive knowledge of both medicine and the law, so here are 3 valuable tips to help you investigate Workers Compensation (WC) claims.
This document is the beginning of any WC insurance claim investigation, and it serves as the basis for your insurance company’s investigation making it a critical document to any successful resolution of a WC claim.
The form you use may be issued by your state’s industrial commission or could be company-specific. Whichever type of form you’re using, the information on it needs to be accurate and complete. This is an instance when you do want to sweat the small stuff.
Before submitting this form, make sure it is completely filled out and that the information is correct. Check that the name of the injured employee is spelled correctly; that you have the correct social security number, date of injury, and wage info; and any potential witnesses are listed.
Make sure information about the injury is complete and accurate including when, where, and how the injury occurred, type of injury, the body part affected, and where the injured employee received medical care and treatment.
You should also know who completed the form and even a little background about that person. It’s a balancing act; you need to trust but at the same time verify that all the information is correct.
Often, the space allowed is not enough to provide thorough information, so don’t be afraid to write “see attached” if you need more room to describe the accident including alternate explanations of what did or didn’t occur.
First, make sure you understand the laws in your state regarding recorded statements and that you follow those guidelines. Then you want to obtain as much detail as possible. You should ask questions about:
To help avoid questions regarding the admissibility of the recordings, make sure that the employee reviews and signs a transcribed copy of the statement.
There are several documents available to you as you delve into a workers’ compensation claim investigation including the following:
A thorough Workers Compensation claim investigation takes time and effort but can save you thousands of dollars and reduce your insurance costs. Follow these 3 tips to make the process go more smoothly and lead to quicker and more successful Workers Comp claim resolutions.
To learn how you can save big on Workers Compensation Insurance, give the independent experts American Insuring Group a call at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 or contact us online.