Early Injury Reporting Can Cut Claims, Premium Costs

HOW LONG you wait to notify your Work Comp Carrier

of a workplace injury can make a significant difference in the cost of that claim.

When your workers’ compensation premium is calculated, one of the key elements that we take into account is the cost and frequency of prior claims during the past few years.

In short, by improving your organization’s injury notification times, you can also positively affect the cost of the claim, which in turn can help reduce your overall workers’ comp premiums going forward.

Can early reporting really affect the cost of a claim?

The graph to the right shows results from a National Council on

Compensation Insurance study looking at the cost of a claim based on

the delay between incidence and notification. Note that even as little

as 2-3 weeks can begin to increase the cost of the claim by over 10%.

Why does early reporting work?

The sooner medical treatment begins, the better the outcome.

For a workers’ compensation claim, the sooner we know about

an injury to one of your workers, the sooner we can start collecting

information and plan for appropriate treatment options. If treatment

is delayed, the likelier it is that costs will mushroom both in terms of

medical costs and lost time from work.

If we are notified when an injury occurs and we can arrange for the

injured worker to begin the medical treatment, it is more likely that the

length or severity of their treatment program will be less.

For the injured worker, this means a shorter recovery time, better

prognosis for general health and return to work outcomes, and probably

a more positive attitude toward their injury and the workplace.

For employers, this means less money allocated to covering wages

and treatment for the injured worker, and less workplace disruption.

Claims Reporting Tips

• Develop internal procedures for reporting injuries. Ensure that your

staff know the importance of reporting injuries immediately and that

they are aware of your reporting procedures.

• Don’t question employees’ integrity when they report an injury.

• Familiarize yourself with the regulatory and legal requirements in

relation to reporting workplace injuries.

• Report a claim immediately after learning about it.

• Encourage safe work practices and ensure that employees are aware

of and practice proper safety techniques.

• If an injured worker has partial capacity for work, try to provide interim

alternate duties while they heal up. This can have a positive impact

on potential disability levels, and on the premium impact of lost time.

Give us call or email us if you need additional help or have questions...We are here for you

and we will help! Email us at Compliance@delaneyins.com or contact Glenn Salter at

909-481-7223.