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Workers Comp Accident Management Questions Rolled In

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Workers Comp Accident Management By Restaurant Manager

One of the more popular articles published recently covered the workers comp accident management by the restaurant manager of a slip-and-fall accident by a waitperson.  The article went viral, well, viral for a very specific-subject website.

pic of workers comp accident management safety shower

I received a few emails with questions on how the restaurant manager handled the incident.   You can check out that article here.

The manager performed well at the busiest time of the day for the restaurant – noontime rush.  After growing up in a restaurant family, there is no comparison to the noontime rush as it is so compacted and everyone is in a hurry to get back to work.

Workers Comp Accident Management Questions and Comments

The questions and comments that I converted to questions are:

  • Why did the manager not let the assistant manager do the Workers Comp Reporting (FROI)

Most smaller restaurants (even chains) have the assistant manager as the manager running the shift.  As far as I could tell, only one manager was available – likely the assistant or shift manager.

  • Why did the manager not have the Workers Comp injury and reporting folder on a tablet or her phone?  The carrier likely had provided a Workers Comp accident management app.

Workers Comp runs approximately 10 years behind on technology.   The carrier likely only provided a folder.  The pen and paper system worked well in this instance.   I was more surprised that the shift manager had been trained on what to do and followed the instructions.

  • Should the manager have called an ambulance?

No, the injury was not that series unless you count the plates that hit the floor in a loud BANG!

  • Should the manager have given the injured employee a slip to take to the correct medical provider?
Taco Bell Restaurant Workers comp accident management at night time
Wikimedia Commons – Anthony92931

From what I could tell, the shift manager used the folder and called the nearest medical provider to tell them that an employee was coming to see them and reported what happened to the clinic.   As it was Saturday noon, the medical provider was likely a walk-in clinic.  Some people call them a Doc-In-A-Box.  I call them huge workers comp premium savers that I have used for over 30 years to cut WC costs.   Medical control while supplying the best treatment available is the key.

  • Why was no one sent with the injured employee to drive them to the appointment?

You may be correct on this one.  The injured employee, even though in his early 20s was in pain and he may have decided to go home or seek medical treatment elsewhere besides the walk-in clinic.   I presume the shift manager called the clinic to see if the injured employee showed up and likely called the employee to see how he did after the appointment.  Those two recommendations are in most Work Comp insurance carrier’s accident manuals or folders.

I can tell you from experience that losing medical control at the outset of a claim can cost a large amount of premium and not have the injured employee receive the best industrial medical care available.  If there was one area where I think the workers comp accident management slipped, it was at this point.

Also Read: Combined Ratio Difference Debate – Calendar vs. Accident Year

 

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James J Moore - Workers Comp Expert

Raleigh, NC, United States

About The Author...

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc. in 1996. J&L’s mission is to reduce our clients’ Workers Compensation premiums by using time-tested techniques. J&L’s claims, premium, reserve and Experience Mod reviews have saved employers over $9.8 million in earned premiums over the last three years. J&L has saved numerous companies from bankruptcy proceedings as a result of insurance overpayments.

James has over 27 years of experience in insurance claims, audit, and underwriting, specializing in Workers’ Compensation. He has supervised, and managed the administration of Workers’ Compensation claims, and underwriting in over 45 states. His professional experience includes being the Director of Risk Management for the North Carolina School Boards Association. He created a very successful Workers’ Compensation Injury Rehabilitation Unit for school personnel.

James’s educational background, which centered on computer technology, culminated in earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA); an Associate in Claims designation (AIC); and an Associate in Risk Management designation (ARM). He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a licensed financial advisor. The NC Department of Insurance has certified him as an insurance instructor. He also possesses a Bachelors’ Degree in Actuarial Science.

LexisNexis has twice recognized his blog as one of the Top 25 Blogs on Workers’ Compensation. J&L has been listed in AM Best’s Preferred Providers Directory for Insurance Experts – Workers Compensation for over eight years. He recently won the prestigious Baucom Shine Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer contributions to the area of risk management and safety. James was recently named as an instructor for the prestigious Insurance Academy.

James is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the North Carolina Mid-State Safety Council. He has published two manuals on Workers’ Compensation and three different claims processing manuals. He has also written and has been quoted in numerous articles on reducing Workers’ Compensation costs for public and private employers. James publishes a weekly newsletter with 7,000 readers.

He currently possess press credentials and am invited to various national Workers Compensation conferences as a reporter.

James’s articles or interviews on Workers’ Compensation have appeared in the following publications or websites:

  • Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
  • Entrepreneur Magazine
  • Bloomberg Business News
  • WorkCompCentral.com
  • Claims Magazine
  • Risk & Insurance Magazine
  • Insurance Journal
  • Workers Compensation.com
  • LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites
  • Various trade publications

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