Workers Comp Accident Spike – Helene Same as Hugo?
Will a Workers Comp accident spike occur after Hurricane Helene? First, I wanted to provide a link to the NC Hurricane Helene Fund for victims of the massive storm. Some organizations take a cut to process the funds. I think this one will not as it is a governmental website. An address to mail a check is in the link.
I tried to reach two people I know in Asheville, but neither was reachable. I was in Asheville two weeks ago. I hope the beautiful city retains its mountain charm.
Accident Curve = Spike
In my collegiate days, I accidentally decided to obtain a degree in Actuarial Science. Wow, it was a hard major. One of the books that I kept and did not sell back to the bookstore covered the accident curve when people do a task or use a tool for the first time. The “first time” includes workers who have not performed a task in many years.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the cleanup and rebuilding efforts involved people/workers performing unfamiliar tasks. One of the old sayings is that 90% of accidents using a certain tool occur the first time it is used by the user.
I learned the concept in college as the learning curve which is the inverse of the accident curve. In other words, flip the learning curve over and you will likely see the workers comp accident spike risk.
Hurricane Hugo Caused Major Workers Comp Accident Spike
I was able to track the number of claims as I worked for a carrier that covered many lumber and construction companies. I was flown to Charleston, SC by my employer due to the huge spike in claims – yes, a true field adjuster.
None of the claims had an element of fraud to them. Almost all of the claims were due to the first time using a tool or performing a task. My suggestion at the time – along with the carrier’s safety team was more training.
That suggestion was not well received as one insured employer said – Hey, we are just trying to survive and then rebuild. A few expletives were thrown in their response. Who could blame them?
For more of my articles on accident curves, go here.
