We recently learned some sad news that one of our long-time contributors to Workers’ Comp Roundup, Attorney Ted Ronca, has passed away due to health complications. Ted was a wealth of knowledge in representing employers in workers’ compensation and a frequently used legal resource for questions and clarification by our primary blog writers, Michael Stack and Rebecca Shafer.
We pay a tribute to him with a compilation of some of this extensive writings. Because his library of articles is so large, and the information so valuable, we have broken it into 3 parts. Employers are recommended to use this information as a reference for workers’ compensation defense best practices.
Part 1 of 3:
What Your Employees Fear Most After A Work Comp Injury
Fear, silence, and uncertainty do more to drive workers’ compensation costs than is generally appreciated – and these factors are fairly simple to control through employer involvement. Attorneys in the field quickly learn that an unpaid medical bill is certain to drive a worker to a lawyer, but there are many other fears which will also do the same thing. Job security is perhaps the second greatest fear, but much else can cause dangerous anxiety. Your workers will quickly find themselves worrying about problems which don’t exist and can’t exist, but these problems will be very real unless someone communicates with them.
Two Basic Rules To Solve Workers Compensation Problems
Nearly all compensation problems are solved by employers if they follow two basic rules: 1. Communicate early, 2. Communicate thoroughly.
The Work Comp Claim Isn’t Over Until It’s Over
Yes, this article honors Yogi Berra, but not for the reason you might think. His now famous phrase, about a game (or a season) not being over until it’s over has become the archetype for a thought which is a) true, b) egregiously obvious and c) useless. But Yogi may well have the last laugh.
Warning For Employers: Social Security Problems & Consequences For Workers Comp
The trust funds for the Social Security disability benefits program are nearly exhausted and will be gone by 2016. What consequences are there for an employer’s workers compensation costs?
Pay Particular Attention To Work Comp Claims That Overlap With Other Laws
“Flexibility” when you’re involved in a claim of any kind, gives you options – and that means having several ways to deal with a problem. But flexibility can mean much more. It can also give an employer freedom of action; in addition all others involved in a claim do NOT have the same advantages that the employer has.
Author: Attorney Theodore Ronca was a lawyer from Aquebogue, NY. He was a frequent writer and speaker, and represented employers in the areas of workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, employee disability plans and subrogation for over 30 years.
My cousin was badly injured at work and he can’t come to work because of it. According to this, it’s important to communicate early and thoroughly when injured at work. Furthermore, it’s advisable to have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer for the best outcome.