Workers’ Compensation
Our Practice Areas
Labor & Employment Law
Additional Practice Areas
Workers' Compensation
A workers' compensation claim may begin with a work-related injury, but successful claims management begins much sooner. Zashin & Rich represents employers in all phases of workers' compensation matters. Zashin & Rich provides training and formulates long-term strategies for its clients, which include public entities and private business of all sizes, to defend against claims and manage costs. Cost reduction strategies may include exploring available discount programs, alternative Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) rating programs, and self-insurance. The Workers' Compensation Group analyzes each client's unique needs to formulate an effective and economic claims management strategy and defense.
Zashin & Rich's claims management and defense expertise begins with the first report of injury and coordination with the employer or its third-party administrator to ensure consistent claim management. The firm is guided by the principle that communication is the key to a successful defense. An employer's first steps following a work-related injury can have wide-ranging consequences. Zashin & Rich understands that accessibility and communication are critical to successful claim outcomes for our clients.
The firm represents employers before the Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Industrial Commission in all injury and occupational disease compensability matters, requests for authorization of medical treatment, eligibility for compensation issues, and Violation of Specific Safety Requirements claims.
The firm prosecutes appeals to the BWC Adjudicating Committee and Administrator's Designee hearings regarding experience, rate, manual classification, and successorship issues. Zashin & Rich also ensures that the right to subrogation is pursued against any third party who caused a particular injury in order to recover claim costs.
Zashin & Rich defends clients against claims brought before Ohio's courts of common pleas and litigates claims through jury trial when necessary. The firm also represents employers in appellate matters, referred to as mandamus actions, filed in the Tenth District Court of Appeals or originating in the Supreme Court of Ohio to redress extent of disability issues related to a claim.
Zashin & Rich's Workers' Compensation Group, in conjunction with its Employment and Labor Groups, is uniquely positioned to advise employers with respect to issues collateral to many workers' compensation claims. Such issues include the interplay between workers' compensation and related retaliation laws, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
For more information about the Workers' Compensation Group, please contact Scott Coghlan (sc@zrlaw.com) at 216.696.4441.