The Rise of Hard-to-Verify Workers' Comp Claims

Another trend I've been noticing in workers' compensation...

Years ago, many claims involved injuries that were easier to verify - broken bones, lacerations, falls with clear evidence, and injuries that showed up on imaging. Today, it seems like a growing percentage of claims involve strains, sprains, soft tissue injuries, and subjective pain complaints.

Many of these claims are legitimate. But let's be honest: these types of claims can also be the most difficult for employers to evaluate. When there are no obvious injury, employers are often left wondering: Did this really happen at work? Is the injury as severe as claimed? Is workers compensation just part of "benefits package"? Vacation days, sick days and workers compensation days??

I've spoken with many business owners who feel like they're expected to simply accept every claim at face value while their premiums continue to rise.

Are you seeing more of these "hard-to-verify" claims than you did 10 years ago? I'd be interested to hear what other employers and risk managers are experiencing.