Top 10 reasons injured workers retain attorneys

The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) has a wealth of resources on its site so we'll be adding it to our sidebar under "organizations." In digging through the site we came upon a symposium topic that was presented last December by Massachusetts plaintiff attorney Alan S. Pierce entitled Top Ten List as to Why Injured Workers Retain Attorneys. (pdf) The article presents a good overview of practices that are fairly guaranteed to drive an injured worker into the arms of an attorney - all from the perspective of an attorney who has seen his share of worker grievances. It's instructive reading in how not to treat an employee who has been injured on the job. You can read his full remarks in the linked article, but here's an overview of his top ten reasons:

1. Claim is denied
2. No contact by employer or insurer
3. Overbearing or intrusive contact by the employer
4. Bills unpaid, prescriptions unreimbursed
5. Lawyer advertising/solicitation
6. Advice of friends, family, or medical provider
7. Lack of modified duty work/employer harassment after return to work
8. Worker/employer dissatisfaction
9. Loss of health insurance; other benefits
10. The accident that never should have happened

PERI offers access to a wealth of other risk management articles and papers by industry experts from past symposiums, and while some are geared to topics that are specific to the needs of its member organizations, (e.g., fire departments) many cover general employer-related issues.