WCB Claim Did Not Go Your Way?
Recently I had the opportunity to be a part of Episode #41 of the Truck Focus Podcast. If you haven’t heard it yet, make sure to check it out.
In the discussion, I touched on what you should do when a decision doesn’t go your way in a WCB claim. Many of us get frustrated and this frustration comes out as we talk to WCB; specifically, the person managing the claim.
During my time as a coach in the Canadian Football League (CFL), there were times we didn’t agree with a penalty call. We would yell and scream as if doing so would make the referee say: “You’re right…my mistake…no penalty.”
I’ve never seen THAT happen.
The same happens in WCB. When a claim decision doesn’t go your way, venting your frustration will not change the decision. However, a slight change in mindset and a few key questions can provide you with a blueprint on how to structure your appeal.
Your mindset should be like Sherlock Holmes. You are on a fact-finding mission. You want to get as much information out of the Case Manager that you can about their decision.
To do this you want to ask 3 questions:
1. What was your decision on the claim?
2. What evidence did you look at to make this decision?
3. What was your rationale? (Meaning how does the evidence match up with a policy to make this decision)
With answers to these 3 questions, you can identify whether the claim owner missed anything on the claim. You can also determine if you need to go get new evidence.
Whatever the response, you now have the ability to make the best decision on a path forward in the appeal.
If you are interested to learn more about how to appeal a WCB claim, check out our training:
How to Effectively Appeal a Workers Compensation Claim (WCB)
For additional inquiries on WCB claims management, please email Anthonyb@wcbconsulting.ca or connect with Anthony on LinkedIn.
If you have not already done so, I encourage you to sign up for our monthly Truck Focus Newsletter, as we continue to connect our industry leaders, to the industry, to help create a pivotal change.
Sign up for the Truck Focus Newsletter
The Truck Focus is a division of the Pivotal Transportation Industry Solutions company. We encourage you to learn more about our mission!
Furthermore, if you have a question or topic for a future episode, I encourage you to send us an email inquiry.
Thank you again for taking the time to listen, and I hope you have a safe day!