Who are the stakeholders when an injury occurs? Brett Schoepper will give us some background on a real injury with a complicated fact pattern. 

After an injury or occupational disease, what steps should an employer take to investigate and return the employee to work? Understand the investigative process needed to determine how the injury occurred and what could be done to prevent similar injuries. Understand the role that human resources, safety professionals, supervisors and claims managers play in the process.

Understand the issues and connection between medical treatment and good claims management.  Understand the connection between treatment and return to work at both modified and full duty.  Understand the information needed by the employer regarding medical management including estimates for when treatment will be complete.

Understand the medical and work issues besides the injury itself that can further complicate claims management. Medical issues might include new-related diagnoses, co-morbid conditions and potentially psychological factors. Employment issues could be a lack of accommodation by the employer, family issues, other unreported employment, etc…Understand why the injured worker might decide to hire an attorney.

Understand the process that needs to occur for the injured worker to return to work at the job of injury, modified job, new job or to be accommodated. Understand the legal implications for the employer if the employee is not returned or accommodated. Understand how claims close both medically and vocationally. Understand the role of the vocational counselor at the end of the claim including employability (Labor Market Survey), option 2, structured settlement, etc.. Understand the decisions that an employer makes regarding return to work and accommodation.

Understand how complex claims issues can be resolved from different perspectives. Panel members will present a specific issue to each table and discussion on how the issue may be resolved will ensue. (Accommodation issue, Complex Medical, Potential Fraud, Discipline problem, etc…)