In this episode of The Comp Effect podcast, host Todd Thams interviews Kent Smith, the President/Shareholder at Smith, Mills & Schrock Law. Kent Smith discusses recent legislation that changes how states view worker safety when it comes to COVID 19. New changes are holding employers accountable for employee protection.

Episode Highlights:

• Kent shares his background. (2:12)
• Kent shares the challenges that business owners face when it comes to remote employees. (7:47)
• Kent discusses primary principles in workers’ compensation claims. (11:08)
• What is the most valuable commodity in Kent’s business?(17:31)
• Kent shares the biggest traumas caused by the pandemic. (20:21)
• Kent shares some claims scenarios regarding COVID-19 exposure. (22:44)
• How would Kent defend a business against a COVID-related claim? (37:54)
• What is a ‘sequela of the injury’ in workers’ compensation? (42:17)
• Kent shares why a state system is better at workers’ compensation than a federal system. (48:42)

Key Quotes:

• “The most valuable commodity my business has is its people. I would argue that no matter what your business is, whether you’re a law firm, or whether you’re constructing widgets…The most valuable commodity in your business is your people.” – Kent Smith
• “If you take all the factors into the calculation, into the formula…I think it’s vital for employers to try to find suitable work for those temporary restrictions that the injured employee might have, so that they don’t lose social networks.” – Kent Smith
• “If you know anything about workers compensation, from the employer perspective and an insurance carrier perspective…The longer the claim is open, the more expensive that becomes and the more burdensome that becomes on both the company and the insurance company.” – Kent Smith

Resources Mentioned:

• Smith, Mills & Schrock Law
• Kent Smith LinkedIn
• Todd Thams LinkedIn
• Direct Work Comp
• Thams Agency