Fatalities or Near-Death Experiences in Workers’ Compensation

Case Management Focus

Last week, I said goodbye to a close friend who was found dead by her sister after not reporting to work. My friend was a supervisor at a managed care company, and staff reported to leadership that they could not reach her and that she had not logged onto her computer. As she had not requested time off, her sister was notified, as she was listed as the emergency contact. The sister went to my friend's home and found her dead.    

This story made me sad, and I thought about her team at work and what they were going through. Although I do not know the cause of death, I was told the incident was being investigated as a workplace event till the cause of death can be ruled out by the medical examiner.  

I have never had a case that dealt with a fatality as a Worker's Compensation Nurse Case Manager, so I wanted to look into how fatal/near-fatal events are handled in the workers' compensation arena.  

So, how prevalent are fatalities in workers' settings?  

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5,283 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2023, a 3.7-percent decrease from 5,486. 

Some Key findings  

  - A worker died every 99 minutes from a work-related injury in 2023 compared to 96 minutes in 2022. 

  - Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event, accounting for 36.8 percent (1,942) of all occupational fatalities in 2023.  

  - Fatalities due to violent acts totaled 740 in 2023. Homicides (458) accounted for 61.9 percent of violent acts and 8.7 percent of all work-related fatalities.  

  - Opioids were the primary source of 162 fatalities and a contributor to an additional 144 fatalities where multiple drugs were the source. 

  - The fatal injury count and rate for Black or African American workers decreased from 2022 to 2023. The count dropped 10.2 percent from 734 in 2022 to 659 in 2023, and the rate fell from 4.2 to 3.6 cases per 100,000 FTE workers. To learn more facts, visit the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh.nr0.htm  

The Role of the Nurse Case Manager 

As with any workers’ compensation claim, the nurse case manager is meant to serve as an objective healthcare team member experienced in medical, social, vocational, and situational issues. 

The case manager is incredibly important for the physician, the injured worker, the family, the employer/employees, and the claims adjustor because the case manager's role is to facilitate accurate information transmission and communication to all stakeholders, especially in complex and hectic situations.  

The nurse case manager can validate the information provided to care for the injured worker. In addition, the nurse case manager is also responsible for assuring that medical care is progressing effectively and identifying gas/problems related to that care as appropriate. In an emergency, the nurse case manager can provide the information needed to keep all stakeholders calm, as they know they have an advocate on their side.  

The nurse case manager can assist with providing insurance information so resources like air ambulances or transfers to trauma centers are not delayed. They can also assist the team with vital information for caring for the injured worker. Lastly, they can gather critical information that all stakeholders need to know about injuries, accidents, or illnesses that might be on file.  

The cornerstone of catastrophic care is building trusting relationships with injured workers, their families, and providers. Critical thinking skills are highly valued.  

Medical providers can be highly compartmentalized, whereas an experienced catastrophic nurse case manager can be one step ahead to ensure the injured worker is on track with their care — and that no critical areas are overlooked. 

As noted in the first paragraph, the employer had an emergency contact listed so that the leadership at the managed care company could contact someone. With so many people working from home, this is essential. My friend did not log into her computer which is a requirement. She had not requested off from work, so her not being available to her team was a red flag. Having the emergency contact allowed them to noifty someone. Nurse case managers can remind the employers they work with to have this in place.  

This article was helpful. As a nurse case manager, I would love to know your story if you have been involved in a catastrophic or fatal event. Feel free to email me at allewellyn48@gmail.com.  

Have a good week!  

Share This Article: