Getting to Know Mike Stanley
Senior Claims Representative, PA Office

How long have you been with the company? 4 and a half years. Before that, I worked with Rockwood Casualty for 14 years.

Tell us a little about your average week. How many claims do you usually see in a week? Lately, it has been very slow. I usually see 5 to 10 medical only claims per week and pass them on to our med only adjuster. We’re averaging only about one lost time claim per week. Either our insured’s employees aren’t getting hurt seriously or they are staying on to make money instead of filing a claim. Basically, other than any new claims, I look at old claims and see what we can do to close them out. I review files to see about getting surveillance and IME's (Independent Medical Exams) and confer with counsel to determine what we need to do about claims that are in litigation.

What are some of the types of claims that you usually see? Handling all the new PA traumatic work comp claims, I see mostly strained backs, injured knees, etc. Right now, I’m working on a new claim of a fractured leg with compartment syndrome. We’re working on getting Best Docs involved on this one. One of the things that’s been really helpful about having fewer new claims has been the ability to concentrate on the older, more involved claims—right now I’m working on an amputation claim from several years ago that has taken a turn for the worse.

How long does it usually take to settle a claim? It really is completely variable depending on the claimant and on the claimant’s attorney. I usually like to start moving claims that need settled toward settlement within a year, if possible. It takes time to get things approved and pushed through. Others can take 2 to 3 years or more, depending on litigation.

What's your favorite part of the job? Going after the bad guys—the ones that have given false information to get benefits . The claims from workers who are truly hurt aren't difficult. But, the ones that are trying to beat the system that you can go after are enjoyable. I like to dig into a tough claim—it makes it a challenge to get them off of comp. Some people try to make a lifestyle out of comp instead of using it when it is really needed.

I also like the ongoing education involved with claims adjusting. It really is an ongoing continuing education. I had a boss once who said that no matter how long he was in the business, he’d always consider himself five years from being fully trained. That’s true, because things are always changing. It is important to always stay up-to-date on all the issues surrounding insurance claims and case law . And I really love working with Dale Thompson. He’s the greatest guy to work for. I couldn’t imagine a better situation or a better person to work for.

Mike Stanley with a collection of his handmade turkey calls.

In your off-time you volunteer as a fireman, right? I still volunteer, but I’m not as active as I used to be. Now, I’m more active with what my son is doing. I’m helping coach his baseball team. He’s going on 13, so I knew I’d do more with him at this age, and you don’t get those years back, so I stepped back a little with the fire department. I used to be president of the department, and it took a lot of personal time. Now that I’m not president, I have more time to spend with my family. I still do work as a volunteer, though. Age-wise, I’m probably the oldest guy in my department still packing up and going into a burning building. Most of the guys in my department that do that are in their 20’s and 30’s and I’m 48.

Tell us a little about your firefighting experiences....Worst experience I ever had was when we were finishing up in a building and I got on a weak section of floor. I fell through the floor and landed on the floor below. It really knocked the breath out of me. No one knew I had fallen through the floor and I couldn’t catch my breath. Finally, I got my breath back and was able to get the attention of the folks above. That was the worst experience. As far as best experiences, it is always a really adrenalin-pumping experience to go crawling into a building with fire all around you. The best thing about the job is helping someone out—like when you cut someone out of a really bad car accident and they make it.

As far as hobbies go, someone mentioned that you like to hunt. Are you still hunting? I love to hunt and turkey hunting is by far my favorite. I’ve gotten my son involved in hunting, too. It’s something that we can do together as a father and son. I even make my own turkey calls.

How did you learn to make your own turkey calls? I just got curious. I was looking at some calls I had one day and decided I could build one—and maybe even make it better. It’s a fun hobby. Usually takes a day or two to build and tune one. I give them away to friends and occasionally sell one.

The biggest part of my life is definitely my family. I’m really proud of my kids. My daughter is a junior at University of Pittsburgh and is on the Dean’s list. My son is going into the 8th grade and he plays just about every kind of ball there is. My family is what I focus my life on.