How Face-to-Face Conversations Improve the Chances of Closing a Workers' Compensation Case
When an employee gets injured on the job, their workers' compensation case can sometimes become a long and complex process. While paperwork, medical reports, and phone calls are standard parts of handling these cases, there’s one element that often gets overlooked but can make a significant difference: face-to-face conversations with the injured worker.
Mediation leverages the benefit of this type of communication. At Prism, we know that engaging in direct, personal communication can improve trust, streamline resolution, and ultimately increase the chances of closing the case in a fair and timely manner— the goal of all involved in a workers’ comp dispute.
Building Trust and Rapport
One of the biggest challenges in workers' compensation cases is ensuring that the injured employee feels heard and supported. Workers who feel ignored or misunderstood are more likely to become frustrated, which can lead to prolonged claims, disputes, or even litigation. Mediation is an opportunity for injured workers to be heard and feel considered in what can be a long, heavy, isolating process. This fosters trust, which then results in a more collaborative approach to resolving the case, rather than an adversarial one.
Gaining Clarity on the Injury and Recovery Process
In-person discussions allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the injury, treatment progress, and any challenges the worker is facing. While medical reports provide clinical details, they often lack the personal perspective of the injured worker.
By having a face-to-face conversation, employers and claims managers can:
Clarify any discrepancies between medical reports and the worker’s experience.
Identify potential barriers to returning to work, such as emotional distress or workplace concerns.
Address any misunderstandings about benefits, medical treatments, or work restrictions.
This direct communication ensures that all parties are on the same page, which greatly improves the likelihood of settlement sooner rather than later.
Encouraging a Positive Mindset and Motivation to Return to Work
An injured worker may feel isolated, anxious, or uncertain about their future. A face-to-face conversation, rather than an email or phone call, can provide reassurance, authentic support, and also give them peace of mind about what tomorrow looks like.
Our mediation process focuses heavily on educating the injured worker about the workers’ comp system & options available to them, and then empowering them to make a decision based on the information presented. This puts them in the driver’s seat of their case, which keeps them feeling positive and motivated to resolve, knowing it is ultimately their choice.
Reducing Litigation Risks
Many workers’ compensation cases become prolonged due to disputes, often resulting in legal involvement. A lack of communication or perceived neglect can cause issues that complicate the case further. A simple conversation with all parties involves mitigates these risks by keeping things transparent and focusing on a problem-solving approach.
While digital communication and paperwork are essential in managing workers' compensation cases,
face-to-face conversations provide a human touch that can significantly improve outcomes. By building trust, clarifying concerns, motivating recovery, identifying issues early, and reducing litigation risks, in-person discussions can lead to a smoother, faster resolution of workers' compensation claims.
For employers, claims managers, and HR professionals, prioritizing these conversations is a proactive step toward ensuring both the well-being of their employees and the efficiency of their claims process. Our services are centered around resolution through this human-focused principle of transparent, open communication, earlier rather than later, to get the outcome all parties want: resolution.