N.Y. Workers’ Comp Board Resolves $312,025 Cases During 2005

February 16, 2006

New York State Workers’ Compensation Board Executive Director Richard Bell reported this week that the board resolved all pending issues for 312,025 new and reopened claims in 2005, marking the fifth consecutive year of 300,000 or more resolutions. A case is considered resolved when all pending issues have been determined.

“Five years ago the bar was set at 300,000 or more claims resolved per year and we are extremely pleased to have met and exceeded this goal for a 5th consecutive year,” Bell said. “This is a reflection of the Governor’s long term commitment to ensure efficient services at the Workers’ Compensation Board.”

Since 1997 the Workers’ Compensation Board has undergone tremendous change including a complete computerization of services as well as needed administrative changes that have accelerated the claims resolution process.

Since 2000, approximately 45 percent of claims are resolved informally and outside of the potentially lengthy hearing processes, leaving space on hearing calendars for the most complex cases. As a result, 75 percent of cases decided via hearings in December of 2005 were fully resolved within 7 months compared to 62 percent in January of 2003.

In addition, there are currently 32,000 fewer cases on the Board’s calendar of pending claims than there was in January of 2003.

Was this article valuable?

Here are more articles you may enjoy.