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Injury Claims (injury + claim)
Selected AbstractsPredictors of delayed return to work after back injury: A case,control analysis of union carpenters in Washington StateAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Kristen L. Kucera PhD Abstract Methods Union administrative records identified 20,642 union carpenters who worked in Washington State from 1989 to 2003. The Department of Labor and Industries provided records of workers' compensation claims and associated medical care. Work-related back claims (n,=,4,241) were identified by ANSI codes (back, trunk, or neck/back) or ICD-9 codes relevant to medical care consistent with a back injury. Cases (n,=,738) were defined as back injury claims with >90 days of paid lost time; controls (n,=,699) resulted in return to work within 30 days. Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) of delayed return to work (DRTW). Results Thirty percent of case claims and 8% of control claims were identified by an ICD-9 code. DRTW after back injury was associated with being female (2.7, 95% CI: 1.3,5.5), age 30,44 (1.2, 95% CI: 0.9,1.7) and age over 45 (1.6, 95% CI: 1.1,2.3), four or more years union experience (1.4, 95% CI: 1.1,1.8), previous paid time loss back claim (1.8, 95% CI: 1.3,2.5), and ,30-day delay to medical care (3.6, 95% CI: 2.1, 6.1). Evidence of more acute trauma was also associated with DRTW. Conclusions Use of ICD-9 codes identified claims with multiple injuries that would otherwise not be captured by ANSI codes alone. Though carpenters of younger age and inexperience were at increased risk for a paid lost time back injury claim, older carpenters and more experienced workers, once injured, were more likely to have DRTW as were those who experienced acute events. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:821,830, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ergonomic and socioeconomic risk factors for hospital workers' compensation injury claimsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2009Jon Boyer ScD Abstract Background Hospital workers are a diverse population with high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The risk of MSD leading to workers' compensation (WC) claims is likely to show a gradient by socioeconomic status (SES) that may be partly explained by working conditions. Methods A single community hospital provided workforce demographics and WC claim records for 2003,2005. An ergonomic job exposure matrix (JEM) was developed for these healthcare jobs from direct observation of physical workload and extraction of physical and psychosocial job requirements from the O*NET online database. Occupational exposures and SES categories were assigned to workers through their O*NET job titles. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to estimate the propensity to file an injury claim in relation to individual factors, occupational exposures, and SES. Results The jobs with the highest injury rates were nurses, semi-professionals, and semi-skilled. Increased physical work and psychological demands along with low job tenure were associated with an increase in risk, while risk decreased with psychosocial rewards and supervisor support. Both occupational and individual factors mediated the relationship between SES and rate of injury claims. Conclusions Physical and organizational features of these hospital jobs along with low job tenure predicted WC injury claim risk and explained a substantial proportion of the effects of SES. Further studies that include lifestyle risk factors and control for prior injuries and co-morbidities are warranted to strengthen the current study findings. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:551,562, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The Contingency Legal Aid Fund: A Third Way to Finance Personal Injury LitigationJOURNAL OF LAW AND SOCIETY, Issue 1 2003David Capper Northern Ireland missed out on all the major reforms to civil justice which took place in England and Wales during the 1980s and 1990s. However the reform movement is now gathering pace and a Legal Services Commission is due to start work in the spring of 2003. This article considers how personal injury claims might be funded. The government wants to introduce conditional fee agreements (CFAs) but widespread hostility expressed by many interested parties led to the consideration of an alternative funding system, the Contingency Legal Aid Fund (CLAF). The relative merits of CFAs and CLAF are considered in the following pages. [source] Deterring Fraud: The Role of General Damage Awards in Automobile Insurance SettlementsJOURNAL OF RISK AND INSURANCE, Issue 4 2005David S. LoughranArticle first published online: 30 NOV 200 Awards for pain and suffering and other noneconomic losses account for over half of all damages awarded under third-party auto insurance bodily injury settlements. This article hypothesizes that third-party insurers use general damage awards to reduce the incentive to submit exaggerated claims for specific damages for injuries and lost wages. Consistent with this hypothesis, the article finds evidence using data on over 17,000 closed bodily injury claims that special damage claims that exceed their expected value receive proportionally lower general damage awards than claims that do not. Among the implications of this research is the possibility that insurers will be less zealous in challenging fraudulent special damage claims under a third-party insurance regime than they will be under a first-party insurance regime in which access to general damages is limited. [source] Functional capacity evaluation reports for clients with personal injury claims: a content analysisOCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2004Shelley Allen Abstract Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) for personal injury claimants are rigorously scrutinized by the stakeholders because of their financial implications. This study examined 51 medico-legal FCE reports for clients all of whom suffered with spinal pain attributed to a motor vehicle accident. The FCEs were completed by 14 occupational therapists. Content analysis of the FCE reports identified categories and sub-categories of objective and subjective information on which occupational therapists reported. They included employment, activities of daily living, pain, functional physical capacities and job demands. Recommendations included the suitability of current and future jobs. However, the reasoning behind occupational therapists' recommendations in the FCE reports was frequently not stated. This content analysis demonstrated that these detailed FCE reports had a consistent focus on work capacity; further, the researchers suggest refinements to FCE reporting practices so that findings, recommendations and predictions about work outcomes for clients are interpreted clearly and realistically. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Predictors of delayed return to work after back injury: A case,control analysis of union carpenters in Washington StateAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Kristen L. Kucera PhD Abstract Methods Union administrative records identified 20,642 union carpenters who worked in Washington State from 1989 to 2003. The Department of Labor and Industries provided records of workers' compensation claims and associated medical care. Work-related back claims (n,=,4,241) were identified by ANSI codes (back, trunk, or neck/back) or ICD-9 codes relevant to medical care consistent with a back injury. Cases (n,=,738) were defined as back injury claims with >90 days of paid lost time; controls (n,=,699) resulted in return to work within 30 days. Logistic regression models estimated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) of delayed return to work (DRTW). Results Thirty percent of case claims and 8% of control claims were identified by an ICD-9 code. DRTW after back injury was associated with being female (2.7, 95% CI: 1.3,5.5), age 30,44 (1.2, 95% CI: 0.9,1.7) and age over 45 (1.6, 95% CI: 1.1,2.3), four or more years union experience (1.4, 95% CI: 1.1,1.8), previous paid time loss back claim (1.8, 95% CI: 1.3,2.5), and ,30-day delay to medical care (3.6, 95% CI: 2.1, 6.1). Evidence of more acute trauma was also associated with DRTW. Conclusions Use of ICD-9 codes identified claims with multiple injuries that would otherwise not be captured by ANSI codes alone. Though carpenters of younger age and inexperience were at increased risk for a paid lost time back injury claim, older carpenters and more experienced workers, once injured, were more likely to have DRTW as were those who experienced acute events. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:821,830, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Impact of publicly sponsored interventions on musculoskeletal injury claims in nursing homes,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2009Robert M. Park MS Abstract Background The rate of lost-time sprains and strains in private nursing homes is over three times the national average, and for back injuries, almost four times the national average. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) has sponsored interventions that were preferentially promoted to nursing homes in 2000,2001, including training, consultation, and grants up to $40,000 for equipment purchases. Methods This study evaluated the impact of BWC interventions on back injury claim rates using BWC data on claims, interventions, and employer payroll for all Ohio nursing homes during 1995,2004 using Poisson regression. A subset of nursing homes was analyzed with more detailed data that allowed estimation of the impact of staffing levels and resident acuity on claim rates. Costs of interventions were compared to the associated savings in claim costs. Results A $500 equipment purchase per nursing home worker was associated with a 21% reduction in back injury rate. Assuming an equipment life of 10 years, this translates to an estimated $768 reduction in claim costs per worker, a present value of $495 with a 5% discount rate applied. Results for training courses were equivocal. Only those receiving below-median hours had a significant 19% reduction in claim rates. Injury rates did not generally decline with consultation independent of equipment purchases, although possible confounding, misclassification, and bias due to non-random management participation clouds interpretation. In nursing homes with available data, resident acuity was modestly associated with back injury risk, and the injury rate increased with resident-to-staff ratio (acting through three terms: RR,=,1.50 for each additional resident per staff member; for the ratio alone, RR,=,1.32, 95% CI,=,1.18,1.48). In these NHs, an expenditure of $908 per resident care worker (equivalent to $500 per employee in the other model) was also associated with a 21% reduction in injury rate. However, with a resident-to-staff ratio greater than 2.0, the same expenditure was associated with a $1,643 reduction in back claim costs over 10 years per employee, a present value of $1,062 with 5% discount rate. Conclusions Expenditures for ergonomic equipment in nursing homes by the Ohio BWC were associated with fewer worker injuries and reductions in claim costs that were similar in magnitude to expenditures. Un-estimated benefits and costs also need to be considered in assessing full health and financial impacts. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:683,697, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ergonomic and socioeconomic risk factors for hospital workers' compensation injury claimsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 7 2009Jon Boyer ScD Abstract Background Hospital workers are a diverse population with high rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The risk of MSD leading to workers' compensation (WC) claims is likely to show a gradient by socioeconomic status (SES) that may be partly explained by working conditions. Methods A single community hospital provided workforce demographics and WC claim records for 2003,2005. An ergonomic job exposure matrix (JEM) was developed for these healthcare jobs from direct observation of physical workload and extraction of physical and psychosocial job requirements from the O*NET online database. Occupational exposures and SES categories were assigned to workers through their O*NET job titles. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to estimate the propensity to file an injury claim in relation to individual factors, occupational exposures, and SES. Results The jobs with the highest injury rates were nurses, semi-professionals, and semi-skilled. Increased physical work and psychological demands along with low job tenure were associated with an increase in risk, while risk decreased with psychosocial rewards and supervisor support. Both occupational and individual factors mediated the relationship between SES and rate of injury claims. Conclusions Physical and organizational features of these hospital jobs along with low job tenure predicted WC injury claim risk and explained a substantial proportion of the effects of SES. Further studies that include lifestyle risk factors and control for prior injuries and co-morbidities are warranted to strengthen the current study findings. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:551,562, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Livestock-handling injuries in agriculture: An analysis of Colorado workers' compensation data,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2009David I. Douphrate PhD Abstract Background Previous studies have reported that livestock-handling injuries are among the most severe of agricultural injuries. This study identifies the costs, characteristics, and contributing factors associated with livestock-handling injuries among Colorado dairy farmers, cattle/livestock raisers, and cattle dealers. Methods A 10-year (1997,2006) history of Colorado's workers' compensation claims data was used for analysis. Descriptive analyses of livestock-handling injury claims were performed. Claim cost analysis was also conducted. The agent,host,environment epidemiological model was used to analyze injury event descriptions. Results A total of 1,114 livestock-handling claims were analyzed. Claims associated with milking parlor tasks represented nearly 50% of injuries among dairy workers. Claims associated with riding horseback, sorting/penning cattle, and livestock-handling equipment represented high proportions of livestock-handling injuries among cattle/livestock raisers and cattle dealers. Claims associated with livestock-handling represented the highest percentage of high-cost and high-severity injuries in all three sectors. Conclusions Livestock-handling injuries are a significant problem, more costly, and result in more time off work than other causes of agricultural injuries. There is a strong and compelling need to develop cost-effective interventions to reduce the number of livestock-handling injuries in agriculture. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:391,407, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Workers' compensation experience of Colorado agriculture workers, 2000,2004,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006David I. Douphrate MPT Abstract Background Agriculture is among the most hazardous of occupations. The lack of information regarding agriculture injuries or fatalities has been recognized as an obstacle for effective injury prevention. Workers' compensation claims data for non-fatal injuries among agriculture and agri-business workers in the State of Colorado between the years of 2000 and 2004. Methods Workers' compensation claims are utilized to estimate injury claim incidence rates, determine the distributions of sources, causes, types and body locations of injuries, and estimate the costs of these injuries. Results Colorado agriculture and agri-business workers (e.g., cattle dealers, cattle or livestock raisers, dairy farmers) have high rates of injury claims, especially in sectors that involve interaction with animals or livestock. Grain milling operations had a high rate of injury claims among agri-business operations. Injuries related to animals, strains, machinery, and falls or slips were the most frequent among all occupations analyzed. Conclusions Understanding the occurrence of injuries among Colorado agriculture and agri-business workers is critical to implementing and evaluating effective intervention programs for specific agriculture-related occupations. The development of safety interventions that address the worker,animal interface, fall protection systems, machinery usage, and overexertion prevention strategies is recommended. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:900,910, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Occupational injuries by hour of day and day of week: a 20-year studyAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2006Eric Wigglesworth Objective: To examine by hour of day and day of week the 750,000 compensation claims that were lodged by male workers in Queensland, Australia, during the 20-year period from 1968 to 1988, including an investigation into some possible reasons for the increased number of claims on Mondays and the reduced number of claims on Fridays. Method: The study was based on the collection entitled Industrial Accident Statistics (Bulletin 79), published annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland office. This was the only State collection to include data on compensated injuries categorised by hour of day and day of week. There was no Australia-wide dataset of compensated occupational injuries. Results: Compensation claims were not evenly distributed through the working week. There were more injuries on Mondays (23.6% of the total) than on Tuesdays (21.8%), than on Wednesdays (20.3%), than on Thursdays (18%), than on Fridays (16.3%). There were more injuries in the mornings than in the afternoons for every day of the working week. Conclusions and Implications: This study confirms the existence of a steady reduction in workers' compensation injury claims on successive days of the working week. One possible explanation for this finding is offered as a basis for further research into the reasons for this trend. Hopefully, the results of these and later studies may suggest remedial measures that will help reduce the number of occupational injuries. [source] | ||||||||||