A DIFFERENT KIND OF PAIN FOR INSURERS – PART 2

In a previous post, I described how an escalation of losses can hurt both accident victims and insurance companies. Below, is an earlier posting from the Chronic Pain Letter, which explains this process more detail.

Aggressive Insurers (and WSIB) Will Lose Everytime

Over 90% of my patients, over the past 25 years, have suffered from various types of long-term (or chronic) pain. Often, high levels of relentless pain plus heavy losses trigger depression. This then becomes an added source of limitation, creating even higher levels of disability and loss.

When insurers (or WSIB, Ontario’s Worker’s Compensation Board) place undue pressures on such people and terminate their income or treatment benefits, what is the most likely outcome? This is not rocket science. Of course, most people under these conditions experience much higher stress levels. Most people get worse. Their pain levels, often from multiple sources of pain, escalate. They become more depressed. They lose hope. Many feel defeated and give up. Now, they are even more limited and more disabled, because their injuries have worsened.

Unfortunately, some people, under such harsh conditions, need to go to the emergency room for help with their soaring pain levels and severe depression. Suicidal risks are significantly elevated.

Does this turn of events really help anyone? Injured people and their families suffer more and lose more. Insurers and WSIB are at much higher risk for losing any appeals, tribunals, arbitrations or court cases.

In the last few years, I have seen fewer of these unfair and self-defeating actions from car and disability insurers. Unfortunately, WSIB is behind the times (as usual). WSIB has decided to become more aggressive. As more and more Appeals and Tribunals are won, I can’t see that their actions are really helping, even themselves. Sadly, they leave  many injured worker’s suffering in their wake.

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Thank you for reading. Thank you to Oscar Keys (photo above) and Rachel Walker (image below), both from Unsplash, for your creative work. And, please feel free to steal, share or join our growing list of subscribers.

Mike