The 2017 Annual Report shows some interesting trends. In a nutshell, fewer injuries are being reported, less is being paid in benefits including medical and indemnity (TTD, TPD, PPI, PTD), and attorney fees have increased. One could conclude that employers are fighting harder to deny benefits and employee attorneys are having to fight harder to win benefits. You can view the Report on the Board’s website at: Annual Report 2017.
In particular, the statistics show that in 2017:
- 259.5 million total benefits were paid, a decrease of 3.8%
- 9.5 million was paid to employer attorneys, an increase of 9.14%
The take away: Employers are paying their attorneys more than ever and employees are getting less. Denying employee benefits is big business for insurance defense firms. So, if the insurance company thinks it needs an attorney, maybe the injured worker does too.
Keenan Powell has practiced Workers Compensation law in the State of Alaska for over 35 years and has dedicated her practice to Workers Compensation representing injured Alaskans handling hundreds of cases. www.keenanpowell.com.
All consultations are free. To make an appointment, email: keenan@keenanpowell.com or call: 907 258 7663.