Counsel engaged to provide a defense in matters handled by The Hartford's Worker's Compensation Group are asked to follow these Attorney Guidelines in addition to other applicable guidelines, including:
- General Guidelines
- Billing Guidelines
(additionally, effective January 15, 2015 for HFP)
The following guidelines are applicable to counsel handling workers’ compensation matters on behalf of The Hartford Claims. Guidelines are developed to meet specific business needs, and can be different for different business units at The Hartford. Please consult with the claim handler assigned to a particular case to clarify expectations.
Acknowledgment of New Assignments
New assignments are made, at the discretion of The Hartford, to the Firm or a specific attorney. Assignments are typically made by the claim professional responsible for the direct handling of the matter.
New assignments should be acknowledged by Counsel, in writing, within 24 hours. The acknowledgement should:
- Confirm acceptance of the assignment and the Lead Attorney for the matter;
- Confirm that an appropriate conflict check has been completed without adverse result;
- Indicate any immediately necessary information or documentation required from The Hartford in order to adequately protect the interests of The Hartford and its insured.
Counsel shall promptly advise The Hartford-Regional Director of Litigation Services of any potential conflict of interest (whether at the time of assignment or as may be determined at any other time), and it is within the sole discretion of The Hartford whether any conflict of interest can be resolved by disclosure and waiver, or whether the matter should be re-assigned to other counsel. Counsel should not seek waiver of conflict by a prospective insured/client without agreement by The Hartford-Regional Director of Litigation Services, with particular sensitivity to positional conflicts arising out of Counsel’s past and current representation of adverse interests.
Counsel should promptly advise the insured of representation upon referral by The Hartford. While initial contact may be made by telephone due to circumstances of the particular matter, the representation should be confirmed by appropriate introductory correspondence that provides the insured/client with contact information. Initial contact with the insured, if appropriate, is expected within 3 days of assignment.
Reporting During the Case
The nature of your assignment or the venue may impact the way you report on a workers compensation claim. Please work directly with your claim handler to develop an effective plan for handling the case and for reporting. The following timelines and templates are required over the life of a case.
An >>>CLICK HERE>>> action plan should confirm the understanding of facts and the assignment, and should include a course of action and next reporting diary date within 3 days of the assignment; and again when the assignment or course of action changes.
- Counsel should contact Claims to collaboratively re-strategize and confirm the action plan on any aged case of 2 years or older from date of referral. The Action Plan template should be used to document the strategy.
An >>>CLICK HERE>>> initial report should be submitted no later than 30 calendar days after referral. If the initial referral includes a hearing notice, it should be submitted in 5 business days.
>>>CLICK HERE>>> updated reports are expected within 5 business days of any significant event.
No later than 30 days before a trial date (final hearing or closing of record), a >>>CLICK HERE>>> pre-trial report should be submitted. Counsel will be expected to be available to discuss the matter before the trial.