Use of cannabis, for recreational or medical purposes, is having an effect in workers’ compensation, employment and general liability cases. There are many unanswered questions including whether carriers must pay for medical marijuana, who receives the payments and what liability exists in relation to cannabis still being labeled as a prohibited substance under federal law. In this session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Conference, panelists discussed the critical issues regarding lack of standards for testing and levels of impairment, comparative liability and admissibility of evidence. Speakers included: Stephanie Burnstein, Attorney at Segal McCambridge Singer
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The brain is one of the most complex organs in the body, and damage to it can cause a wide range of impairments called disorders of consciousness (DOC). In this session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Conference, a panel discussed the three main disorders of consciousness and, when an injured worker suffers such an injury, how workers’ compensation should respond. Speakers included: Michael Choo, Chief Medical Officer, Paradigm Robert Doherty, Partner, Evans & Dixon, L.L.C. Nancy Schulz, Director – Managed Care, Acuity Insurance Defining and Diagnosing Disorders of Consciousness It is crucial to understand
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The most overlooked part of workers’ compensation claims handling is assembling the best team possible and getting that team to communicate openly. When in complete concert, the members of that team have a much greater efficiency than the sum of their individual parts. This session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Conference focused on how to assemble the best team possible and, in turn, how that team can work collaboratively to combat workers’ compensation claims fraud. Speakers included: Steve Carman, Director of Workers’ Compensation, Celadon Trucking Jennifer Meyer, Partner, Kopka, Pinkus, Dolin Building the Team
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Socioeconomic status like age or housing, personal factors including finances and transportation, physical demands of employment and access to appropriate healthcare are all factors that can affect an injured worker’s recovery and potential return to work. In this session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Conference, panelists discussed the importance of asking the right questions and gathering the relevant information to understand barriers that may exist in the course of an injured worker’s recovery. Speakers included: Marcos Iglesias, VP Chief Medical Director at Travelers Tron Emptage, Chief Clinical Officer WC at Optum David Vittoria, Senior
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From pre-placement physicals, to safety and wellness plans, to employee and management education, strategies for realistic claims management can allow for favorable resolution and even immunity from litigation. In this session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Conference, panelists discussed how employers can survive and thrive in the workers’ compensation claims management arena. Speakers included: Michele Punturi, Attorney at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin Robin Jones, SVP Risk Management at Sedgwick David Shoaff, Claims Manager at Red Lobster Michelle Leighton, Vice President-Senior Claim Consultant at Connor Strong One of the primary goals of the
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In the age of gun proliferation and related gun violence, there has been an increasing amount of acceptance that commercial landowners should now bear a duty to protect against this risk. In fact, there have been a proliferation of high-dollar legal rulings against businesses held accountable. This session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Conference focused on various aspects of premises liability, from incident prevention responsibilities to legal defense strategies. Speakers included: Sante S. Fratarcangeli, Claims Manager at Conifer Insurance Jeffrey Gill, Department Managing Attorney at Vernis and Bowling Daniel Jahnsen, Founding Partner at Bolan,
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What happens when an employee is also a customer and an incident occurs? In this session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Conference, a panel reviewed a national lawsuit, highlighting the intersection of a workers’ compensation claim and a premises liability cause of action. Speakers included: Paul Caleo, Attorney, Burnham Brown Sonya Goykhman, Corporate Councel, Starbucks Corporation Richard Keating, Attorney, Swanson Martin & Bell LLP The workers’ compensation “grand bargain” ensures that workers hurt on the job will be provided with medical care at no cost to them and that the employer will provide a
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Technology has become ingrained in our daily lives, both at home and work. The workers’ compensation claims management process can benefit from the advent of wearable devices and social media, but careful consideration should be given to issues and perspectives of the employer, administrator, insurer and injured worker. In this session at the 2020 CLM Workers’ Compensation and Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Conference, panelists discussed ways in which technology can be used to monitor employee performance and safety, enhance post-injury care and create additional opportunities for employees to return to work. Speakers included: Jeff Heaser, Vice President Workers’ Compensation Claims
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Medical technology, treatments, delivery and even payment mechanisms are evolving. In this session at NCCI’s AIS Virtual Conference, Raji Chadarevian, Director of Medical Regulation and Informatics, highlighted new developments and offered insight into what the near future may hold for workers’ compensation. Delivery Who Is Delivering Medical Services? In 2012, nonphysicians made up 47 percent of all professional services. In 2018, that share has jumped to 59 percent. Nonphysicians are composed of professions like physical therapists, physician assistants and nurse anesthetists. Nonphysician employment is growing rapidly. From 2012-2018, nurse practitioners saw a 63 percent increase, physician assistants saw a 32
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In this session at NCCI’s AIS Virtual Conference, Barry Lipton, FCAS, MAAA, Practice Leader and Senior Actuary, reviewed new and updated NCCI research on worker demographics and their potential impact to workers’ compensation. The Aging Workforce and Its Implications By 2028, nearly 10 percent of the workforce will be made up of those ages 65 and older. This age group will see the largest growth between 2018-2028 (projected 6.1 million more workers), closely followed by those ages 25-44, who will see a projected growth of 4.8 million. The growth in the aging workforce has led to an increase in accident
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