Crawford mpany : Always digging deeper — a workers compensation case study

At Crawford, a key part of our success is our ability to build long-term, durable relationships with our clients. That longevity helps establish trust and ensures that rather than being a standard supplier we become an extension of their own operations.

One such long-standing client of Crawford in Canada has entrusted our team with the management of their workers compensation program for over 12 years. Recently, Catherine Royet, our lead workers' compensation case manager in Quebec, was working on a complex and costly claims matter for the company.

The claim related to an employee of our client who had slipped and fallen while in the parking lot of one of the client's customers. The individual severely injured their wrist, and as a result of the damage was no longer able to work and would suffer as a result of the injury for the remainder of their life.

As Catherine explored the case in further detail, she realized that there was a potential opportunity to apply for cost relief. While this would clearly prove a positive outcome for our client, she also had to ensure that any steps taken did not negatively affect the relationship between them and their customer.

It was determined that the best approach was to settle the matter outside of court. To do so, our client required a letter from their customer stating that our client was not responsible for the maintenance of the parking lot where the incident occurred. In addition, and under advisement from Catherine and the lawyers she was working with, our client paid for their customer to obtain a legal opinion on the matter.

As a result of Catherine's commitment to ensuring the highest service standards and her willingness to dig deep into the case to uncover the best possible solution, our client received a 100 percent cost relief from the Quebec Workers Compensation Board, equating to credit or reimbursement of just over half a million Canadian dollars. Further, the client was able to maintain its positive business relationship with its customer.

Given the important role that Crawford plays in helping to restore and enhance lives, businesses and communities, it is critical that when conducting our claims investigations we leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure the best outcome for our client and in some instances their client.