The Forgotten Truth About Injured Workers: They Want to Heal

Experience and Perspective in Workers’ Compensation

For the record, I have been providing cost-containment services to the workers compensation ecosystem for more than 30 years. At times, I must admit that my serum cynicism level is off the charts. But then again, I get to see those cases that have become problematic and that most of the files being straightforward people seeking straightforward answers to the compensable injuries sustained.

The Misconception About Injured Workers

There is an all-too-common misconception that shadows any conversation about the nature of Worker’s Compensation. That is, the idea that injured workers do not want to recover. The idea that these individuals are content to stay sidelined and collect any indemnity benefits for as long as possible. Any participant in the workers’ compensation ecosystem will have stories that support this misconception, but these are often isolated incidences that are not only unfair but are fundamentally wrong.

The Reality: Most People Want to Heal

It has been shown that the majority of injured employees want to get better, get back to their lives, take care of their families, and provide. These injured individuals want to continue their independence and live a good life. In my experience, the issue is that system participants on both sides of the table do not know how to navigate the path to recovery.

The Overwhelming System

When someone is injured on the job, they are forced into a whirling ecosystem of medical appointments, insurance claims, legal terminology, being pursued by attorneys, a number of professionals assisting in the rehabilitation, and this can be quite overwhelming. Beyond this swirl, injured employees face issues with physical limitations, pain complaints, complex medical jargon, and a workers’ compensation system that varies from state to state. More often than not, there is conflicting advice from different healthcare providers as to how best to pursue the injury sustained.

Beyond that, pressure from employers, insurance carriers, attorneys, and the “advice” from family members or the guy next door only adds to the overall confusion.

Providing a Roadmap to Recovery

To help injured workers navigate this maze, we must provide them with a clear roadmap to recovery. Use your knowledge, your expertise, and provide waypoints on that map. A frequent example I use is that you could have a brand-new car, drive it off the lot, and strike a tree. Irrespective of how good the body shop and mechanics are, it will never be a “brand-new car” again.

Understanding Change and Healing

Similarly, when someone gets injured, their anatomy is not the original equipment they had 10 minutes prior to the event. The body heals; however, there are potential complications or negative sequelae that could occur. That injured individual needs to understand that a significant change in their normal life path has occurred, and this must be dealt with. All parties need to understand that there are comorbidities that are unrelated to the compensable event but can be problematic. Issues with these types of changes in the health of the injured employee can result in mental health diagnoses such as depression.

The Role of Education and Empowerment

Additionally, it is incumbent upon all those interfacing with the injured individual to inform them of the type of information they need to obtain in order to accomplish their goal of recovery. Helping these individuals understand what questions to ask their doctors, what their rights and responsibilities are within the workers’ compensation system, and what is appropriate treatment for the actual injury sustained. These individuals need to be encouraged to participate in their own recovery. This does not mean pushing one’s limits, only that the medical determinations made should be trusted and referenced, enabling them to obtain all care appropriate for the injury sustained.

Communication, Support, and Accountability

By delivering these educational items as noted above, this empowers the injured employee with the education and knowledge they need to engage in their rehabilitation, outline how to communicate more effectively with healthcare providers and others tangential to the injury, and how they can best control and participate in the recovery. With this knowledge, and every item completely answered, it will enable the injured employee to return to work more successfully. Showing your support in all aspects of the claim file significantly contributes to the overall positive outcome. Be accountable to everyone in the process.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap

In summary, what the injured employee needs is clear, frequent, and appropriate communication in plain language that all parties understand. Establish a clear path enabling them to navigate the system successfully. As a dear friend once said, all workers’ compensation is the same; however, it is different in every state.

Irrespective of your particular role in the workers’ compensation ecosystem, keep at the forefront of your thought process that the person you are assisting most certainly wants to get better. All too often, I see that the limitations are a function of education, and that injured employees not having all the pertinent data necessary compromises the outcome.

Thus, it becomes our mission to bridge that knowledge gap, provide guidance, enable navigation, and get this individual back to health, in as timely a manner as possible, returning the injured worker to maximum productivity. These injured individuals need to be approached with empathy, education, and the idea that while accidents are bound to happen, the results can easily be overcome.