Workers Comp Officer Ii
Current-Presided over pre-hearing conferences to educate unrepresented claimants, diagram/verify issues, confirm timelines, schedule board hearings, and draft prehearing summaries.-Produced discovery rulings to resolve disputes between opposing parties and forward the adjudications process towards eventual resolution, mediation, and/or procedural/merits hearings. -Identified and initiated the Alaska Workers Compensation Board’s Second Independent Medical Evaluation process, set deadlines, scheduled appointments, produced Employee Notification/Physician Referral letters, and distributed the resulting SIME Reports to applicable parties as part of the discovery process.-Directed parties to compile all medical evidence germane to the case and set parameters for discovery, length of hearings, filing of evidence, number of witnesses, witness lists and length of hearing briefs. -Performed limited legal research, heard and decided discovery disputes and issued orders on discovery matters including: objections to evidence, medical and other record release disputes, witnesses’ attendance at depositions, and exchange of evidence. -Advised parties regarding statutory rights, obligations, regulations, and legal precedent. -Analyzed pleadings to determine appropriate action to be taken in connection with claims and petitions filed by parties. -Conducted settlement conferences requiring knowledge of the Alaska Workers Compensation Act and skills in conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation. -Expedited just and reasonable solutions to legal issues related to workers’ compensation cases, without formal hearings when possible and decided other matters to aid in case resolution.-Produced a written record of prehearing conferences and issued formal prehearing conference summaries that confirmed issues for hearing and became an order binding on the parties containing findings of fact and legally supportable conclusions of law.
