On June 1, 2023 and June 2, 2023, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will hold its 22nd annual “Workers’ Compensation Conference.” Here, attorneys, Workers’ Compensation Judges (WCJs), employer representatives, adjusters, risk management/safety employees and others who work in the world of workers’ comp from across the entire State of PA, gather to discuss and learn changes and trends of which they should be aware.
Our attorneys attend this conference nearly every year, and will do so again this year. While we, as attorneys who represent injured workers, are in the vast minority (most of the attorneys who attend this conference are seeking work from the workers’ compensation insurance company representatives in attendance), we feel it is critical to the representation we provide.
By being in the room while the insurance industry representatives are told about the state of the workers’ comp laws, we are getting a peek into their thought processes. This helps us understand and anticipate steps and strategies the workers’ compensation insurance carriers may take. We are also able to have informal conversations with WCJs and defense attorneys, building relationships that may improve communication in future dealings. Not to mention, we are also learning, attending the seminars on such topics as return to work, payment of medical bills, employee mental health (especially post-injury), medical advancements and negotiation strategies.
We recognize that being at this seminar, and out of the office, it may be a bit more difficult for our clients to reach us for those couple days, but when viewed against the overall advantage of having us attend, it was an easy decision. We will, of course, return calls and e-mails on breaks, so we do (as always) remain in constant communication with our clients.