Affiliations: Pre-Injury Consultant, AIG; Co-Founder, Arizona Work Disability Prevention Association, 10820 N 48th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85304, USA. Tel.: +1 602 738 0489; Fax: +1 866 821 9169; E-mail: easeintobalance@gmail.com
Abstract: A state's legislation dictates the expectations in the handling of
work-related injuries. However, the reality is that positive outcomes depend
more on a company's value system, such as whether an organization views its
employees as assets rather than liabilities, than on legal protections. This
article reviews the workers' compensation system in the United States and the
false assumptions that create barriers to effective and timely resolution of
claims. The United States workers' compensation system is a very reactive
process. Professionals in the workers' compensation field who work with
employers, medical providers, and insurance companies regularly encounter
deeply ingrained assumptions that create unnecessary barriers to injured
workers' opportunities to participate in transitional work and modified duty
while recovering from a work-related injury. Regardless of the size or type of
the employer, the jurisdiction where the injury occurred, or the type of claim
management organization, these perceptions continue to permeate the industry.
This article addresses these assumptions and offers suggestions for a more
proactive approach to achieve quicker and more successful outcomes.
