Workers Compensation and Claims Specialist

The Workers' Compensation & Liability Specialist is responsible for administering and managing the organization's workers' compensation, general liability, and auto liability claims programs. This position serves as the primary liaison between employees, operations, insurance carriers, third-party administrators (TPAs), legal counsel, healthcare providers, and regulatory agencies to ensure timely reporting, effective claims management, regulatory compliance, and cost containment.

The specialist works closely with Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), Human Resources, Operations, Fleet, and Risk Management to reduce claim frequency and severity while supporting injured employees throughout the return-to-work process. This role is particularly important in transportation, infrastructure services, construction, utility, and field operations environments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Workers’ Compensation Administration

• Manage the complete lifecycle of workers' compensation claims from initial injury through claim closure.
• Ensure all occupational injuries and illnesses are reported promptly and accurately.
• Coordinate with supervisors to obtain incident reports, witness statements, photographs, and supporting documentation.
• Maintain compliance with state workers' compensation reporting requirements.
• Communicate regularly with injured employees regarding claim status and return-to-work expectations.
• Coordinate medical treatment with occupational health providers.
• Monitor medical restrictions and facilitate modified-duty assignments.
• Review reserves, treatment plans, indemnity payments, and claim strategies with TPAs.
• Identify opportunities for early intervention to reduce claim costs.
• Participate in claim review meetings with insurance carriers and TPAs.

Liability Claims Management

Manage general liability, automobile liability, and property damage claims.

Coordinate investigations involving

• Vehicle accidents
• Third-party injuries
• Property damage
• Customer claims
• Public liability incidents

Collect evidence including

Photographs

Statements

• Police reports
• Dash camera footage
• GPS and telematics data
• Vehicle inspection records
• Work with legal counsel regarding litigation matters.
• Assist in preparing documentation for subrogation and recovery efforts.
• Monitor litigation exposure and claim reserves.

Incident Investigation

• Conduct thorough investigations into workplace injuries and liability incidents.
• Perform root cause analyses.
• Identify corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with EHS personnel to ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Track trends and recurring causes.
• Recommend risk reduction initiatives.

Return-To-Work Coordination

• Coordinate transitional duty assignments.
• Communicate restrictions with supervisors.
• Monitor employee recovery progress.
• Coordinate fitness-for-duty evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with ADA, FMLA, and applicable leave regulations.
• Reduce lost workdays through effective return-to-work strategies.

Insurance & Claims Coordination

Serve as the primary contact with

• Insurance carriers
• Third-party administrators
• Defense attorneys
• Medical providers
• Nurse case managers

Adjusters

• Review claim documentation for completeness and accuracy.
• Monitor claims for reserve accuracy.
• Assist during insurance audits.
• Support annual renewal processes with loss information.

Compliance

Maintain compliance with

• OSHA recordkeeping requirements
• State workers' compensation regulations
• FMCSA regulations (when applicable)
• DOT requirements
• HIPAA privacy standards
• Company reporting procedures
• Insurance carrier requirements

Reporting & Analytics

Develop and maintain reports including

• Workers' compensation claim trends
• Claim frequency and severity
• Cost per claim
• Open vs. closed claims
• Return-to-work metrics
• OSHA recordable statistics
• Liability claim trends
• Auto accident analysis
• Loss runs
• Reserve summaries
• Provide monthly and quarterly executive reports to leadership.

Risk Reduction

Partner with EHS and Operations to

• Identify recurring injury trends
• Analyze root causes
• Recommend corrective actions
• Reduce claim frequency
• Lower insurance costs
• Support enterprise risk management initiatives

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety, Risk Management, Insurance, or related field. Master’s degree is preferred.
• 5-8 years of worker’s compensation claims administration
• 3+ years managing liability claims
• Experience working with TPAs and insurance carriers
• Experience with incident investigations
• Experience with return-to-work programs
• Experience in construction, transportation, utilities, infrastructure services, or industrial operations.

Technical Skills and Certifications

Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, Claims Management Software, Risk Management Information Systems (RMIS), Velocity EHS, HRIS Platforms, Fleet Telematics, Document Management Systems, Vehicle Subrogation, and Power BI.

Associate In Claims (AIC), Associate In Risk Management (ARM), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Workers’ Compensation Professional (CWCP)

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Long-Term Disability Insurance

401k