Devona Beckles Email & Phone Number

26 Court Street Brooklyn, Ny

Workers’ Compensation Paralegal March 2015- March 2016• Perform all research and writing for all senior attorney legal departments, reducing outside counsel fees by 10%.• Draft legal documents including appeal briefs, findings of fact, discovery, motions, pleadings and memoranda of law.• Research and analyze a wide variety of legal issues in areas including social security, worker’s compensation, environmental, corporate and employment.• Involved in all aspects of litigation including legal research, factual investigation, medical records review, document management and trial preparation.• Served as liaison between corporate executives, outside counsel, third-party administrators, insurance adjusters and all levels of corporate personnel.• Assisted in retention and management of outside counsel

Brooklyn, New York

Establish a rapport between the facilities, staff, providers, loss control and carriers to ensure cost control for workers’ compensation claims. Create light duty positions to ensure work status jobs are effectively carried out within the guidelines of the law and the provision of the treating provider.Providing information to employees about workers compensation benefits.Examining, and where applicable, approving claims for workers’ compensation benefits.Maintaining records for workers’ compensation agency files.Completing weekly claims review & reserve status reports.Approving and arranging benefit payments for medical bills, legal expenses, temporary and permanent disability compensation, and death benefits.Consulting with medical staff and legal counsel as necessary.Ensuring light duty and secondary duty will be accommodated.Assisting legal staff as required in handling litigated claims and following up on subrogation claims.Acting Supervisor or second in command when the Director is out of the office.

Greater New York City Area

Development, coordination and implementation of the Independent Living Services Life Skills program preparation for Foster Boarding Home. Major areas of focus include life skills development, discharge planning and aftercare services for the Independent Living population. Encourage youth leadership and participation.• Supervise a team of three Independent Living Counselors• Have weekly individual supervision with each counselors• Coordinate the work schedule for all staff members that include 12 employees.• Oversee ongoing program and individual need assessment in compliance with city and state regulations.• Develop, enhance, coordinate and oversee program initiatives and resources with emphasis on neighborhood based services.• Oversee and track completion of individual semi-annual IL assessments. • Participate with other caseworkers in assessment process insuring completion prior to SPR.• Arrange for or lead IL workshops and activities.• Manage the program’s newsletter.

Melville New York

• Established 3 point contact with the employer, claimant and medical doctor to investigate if the claim is compensable.• Worked with high exposure claims involving litigation and rehabilitation to ensure ongoing adjudication of claims within company standards.• Analyzed and processed worker’s compensation claims for Coca Cola Industries by investigating and gathering information to determine the exposure on the claim.• Negotiated settlement of claims up to designated authority level and made claim payments.• Managed subrogation of claims and negotiate settlements.• Calculated and assigned timely and appropriate reserves to claims and continued to monitor reserve adequacy throughout the life of the claim.• Developed and managed claims through well developed action plans.• Prepared necessary state filings within statutory limits.• Actively managed the litigation process.• Determined benefits due; made timely claims payments and adjustments.• Coordinated vendor referrals for additional investigation and/or litigation management.• Used appropriate cost containment techniques including strategic vendor partnerships to reduce overall cost of claims for our clients.• Managed claim recoveries of all types.

Greater New York City Area

• Analyzed and processed worker’s compensation claims by investigating and gathering information to determine the exposure on the claim.• Frequently communicated claim activity and processing with the ill or injured party and the client.• Maintained professional client relationships.• Maintained a quality assurance program to support the Total Performance Management initiative and the consistent delivery of quality claims service.• Prepared proper reserving and evaluation of workers’ compensations claims.• Able to handle a variety of states such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Delaware, Florida and California.• Used most effective negotiation strategy to reduce costs