N.Y. WC BOARD REPORTS SUCCESS:

The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board resolved 315,000 claims in 2003—almost three claims per minute—marking the third consecutive year that the board has reached the 300,000 resolution mark. Interim Chairman Jeffrey R. Sweet reported that the board’s inventory of open claims was reduced by 10,500 claims since January of 2003 and by more than 97,000 since January 2001. “After three years of proven success, we now have a system that provides answers and eliminates unnecessary delays—and that helps injured workers and employers alike,” Sweet said. In accounting for the its success, officials credit various technological advances along with a shift in focus from a lengthy hearing process to informal case resolution methods. In 2003, 54 percent of claims were resolved at a hearing while 46 percent were resolved through informal agreements.

Topics Claims New York