Senior Professional Liability Analyst

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Senior Professional Liability Analyst – Remote position

Reports to: Claim Manager

Location:Given the scope of claims and litigation throughout Illinois and across the United States, the geographical area assigned to this position along with the expanding geographic distribution of policyholders in different states and jurisdictions, all of this combined creates the necessity to travel extensively within the assigned geographical area to meet with policyholders, defense counsel, witnesses, and experts, and attend depositions, mediations, court proceedings, and trials. This position with these continual travel responsibilities establishes the need for a remote office, to work remotely and conduct all work necessary for this position remotely; however, this position requires attendance at Divisional and Company meetings and committees, special training, and attorney and consultant meetings on site in the Chicago or Springfield offices as needed.

Job Purpose:

This regional position provides service to policyholders by analyzing, evaluating and managing claims, bringing cases to a timely and reasonable resolution by maintaining compliance with the Company’s and Claims Division’s claims management philosophy and guidelines. Additionally, this position provides assistance to the Claim Manager, mentors others within the Claims Division and serves as a resource for others within the Company.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage claims caseload within assigned regional territory, whether within Illinois or in any other state or jurisdiction where claims arise from policies issued by the Company.

• Establish and maintain consistent contact with policyholders, claimants, witnesses, experts, and other concerned parties to gather facts.
• Attend and participate in initial interviews, depositions, mediations, arbitrations, pretrials and trials as needed.
• Work with defense counsel to plan and execute defense strategy.
• Evaluate liability and damages on individual claims through the establishment of injury estimates, use of the Company’s internal review committee and evaluation for settlement authority and recommendations to defend and proceed to trial.
• Provide documentation to file and update computer database and related claims billing system with claims information and activity.
• Provide timely and thorough Loss Advices in order to update the reinsurers.
• Timely prepare and submit cases through all internal Division and Company review processes.
• Approve legal and expense invoices.
• Input and maintain loss report information into system.
• Assist Claim Manager with training and development of other staff members, conduct file reviews and other managerial duties as necessary.

• Meet all time driven performance and communication guidelines and requirements.
• Provide quality service in all areas of responsibility.
• Additional duties and responsibilities as required.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

1. Education Required for Position:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Juris doctorate desirable.

2. Specific Skills Required for Position:

• Ability to work independently at a high level with minimal supervision and guidance from the Manager assigned;
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in a remote office environment;
• Must establish trust and confidence with Claims Division Management to execute all duties and responsibilities from a remote office environment;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate functionally at all levels as if the person was in a non-remote office environment;
• Professional service-oriented demeanor;
• Thorough understanding of legal processes, rules of discovery and the various theories of recovery in the tort system;
• Thorough understanding of insurance coverage issues;
• Knowledge of medical terminology and ability to read and evaluate medical records;
• Ability to successfully communicate and deal with policyholders, attorneys and experts;
• Excellent negotiation skills;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Ability to make accurate and informed judgements;
• Ability to perform well in a fast paced, high-intensity, high-pressure environment;
• Ability to handle high levels of stress and complete work with a high sense of urgency;
• Ability to effectively multi-task while appropriately prioritizing and managing various initiatives and responsibilities; and
• Action oriented with a strong work ethic.

3. Experience Required for Position:

• Minimum of three years of experience in medical malpractice claims handling.

Essential Physical Requirements of Position:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Ability to travel extensively and frequently;
• Ability to establish remote office, work remotely within assigned territory and travel to Chicago office as needed;
• Ability to safely operate a motor vehicle which requires maintaining a valid driver’s license;
• Close visual acuity to read extensive amounts of written information in a standard font for an extended period of time;
• Ability to view and read from computer screens, telephone screens and printed materials;
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication;
• Ability to communicate verbally, convey and express complex and detailed ideas, information and instructions to others clearly, accurately, and effectively in person and via telephone;
• Ability to operate a keyboard, computer and computing device;
• Ability to analyze complex legal and medical data and information;
• Ability to lead and participate in lengthy and stressful presentations, meetings and settlement discussions or mediations;
• Ability to attend and observe lengthy trials and court proceedings;
• Ability to move about to accomplish tasks, attend meetings and scheduled events both inside the office and outside the office.
• Travel to proceedings in three or more counties outside of Cook County is required.

Internal Contacts: All Divisions within the Company, including Internal Audit, Underwriting, Risk Management, Finance, Sales, Marketing and Information Systems.

External Contacts: Physicians and policyholders in all categories, defense attorneys, structured settlement brokers, outside litigation related vendors, judges, mediators, arbitrators, plaintiff attorneys and claimants.