Catastrophic claims, which include severe burns, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and significant amputations, are rare but extremely costly. Some employers overlook their exposure to these claims because of the low frequency, but they can significantly impact workers’ compensation costs. Additionally, self-insured claims data is not reported to agencies like NCCI, making it more difficult to analyze. A recent review of Safety National’s claims data, which includes self-insureds, revealed the five leading causes of catastrophic claims, which account for 71 percent of all claims of this type.
