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Our goal is to minimize the impact of any losses you may experience.

Experienced Advocate

Our dedicated team is responsive, experienced and results-focused.
Each Claims Advocate has extensive experience in the administration of workers’ compensation claims and is uniquely qualified to work aggressively on your behalf.

Services

Available on all open claims on all policy years
Thorough analysis of the injury through a review of carrier’s claims notes and direct contact with both the claims examiner and employer
Provide oversight of the insurance company’s reserving logic, treatment plans and claim closure timetables
Send 90-day written reports on all claims to the employer
Telephone claims meeting with employer as needed
Attendance at carrier claims review meetings as needed
Assist in Return-To-Work design and coordination
RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™

Client Testimonials

Testimonials

Julie Reinhard, Vocational Visions

“I want to formally recognize Jim Malone for his superior service as a my workers’ compensation claims advocate. As many HR professionals know, it is imperative to create relationships with knowledgeable and trusted experts who can help fill in the gaps when dealing with sensitive issues. Jim has always made me feel like a priority, responding to my questions quickly, proficiently, and without making me feel like a burden. Not only is Jim thorough in his responses, Jim offers an extra touch of humanity with his congenial personality. I am grateful that Jim is working on my side.”

Katie Lane, LWP Claims Solutions

“I wanted to shoot you a message about Jim. He is my contact on one of my most challenging cases and he has been wonderful to work with. He is a claims advocate that works with me and not against me. That is uncommon these days and is very refreshing. His knowledge of HR, employment law and workers' compensation is by far superior to any other claims advocate I am presently working with or have ever worked with in the past.”

Barbara Taylor, Accounting Manager, Remodel Works Bath & Kitchen

“Jim has been a great resource for our remodeling company! His vast experience coupled with his ability to explain the complex world of worker's compensation has been extremely helpful. The nuances of insurance can be brain numbing, but Jim does a great job staying focused on the issue at hand and offering his advice. Jim even attended our Project Manager meeting to discuss our safety culture and to field questions. This was greatly successful as Jim can speak from a lot of experience and has many examples to give. We love working with Jim and highly recommend his service.”

Dan Durkin, VP Finance, Rancho West Landscape, Inc.

“Jim has been a great resource for me. He is very good at explaining the process in standard English and not all the abbreviations the adjusters use. I wish we started working with your team sooner. Just good to know we made the right choice this year. Thanks for all your help.”

Julie Romero, AMC

"What I loved about my experience is Jim didn’t just tell me what needed to be done and then hang up, he instead stayed on the phone with me while we found a medical center for the employee. He let me know what forms I needed to fill out, helped me find them and instructed me on who they would need to go to. He took me through the process step by step, even instructed me on the importance of the employers interview, telling me what questions to ask and how detailed they needed to be. I truly felt like I had a partner! He also took the time to tell me what will need to be done in the next few steps and assured me that if I had any questions, he was there for me. I loved the customer service."

Joanna LaBahn Cornett, CEO, LaBahn's Landscaping

"We are excited to be a new client of Rancho Mesa! They have hit the ground running with excellence. I have been very impressed with how on top of it they are. They do everything with the utmost professionalism. I am even more thrilled that they were able to close 6 of our claims within the first 3 months."

Jill Jimenez, Minegar Contracting, Inc.

"Jim Malone is helping me navigate a worker's comp claim. He is very knowledgeable his explanation of the process in layman's terms made it seem less daunting. I was so appreciative!"

Industry Articles

Industry News

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Benefits of Offering Modified Work to Injured Workers

Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ Compensation Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

There are many things the employer is required to do after a work related injury occurs. There are also additional things an employer can and should do after an employee is injured, though not required by any regulatory agency, like offering modified work.

Workers’ Compensation Claim Advocacy: Distinguishing Good from Great

Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ Compensation Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As the new normal continues evolving through this pandemic, advocates are needed across all industries and sectors. Businesses and their employees exposed to the risk of workers’ compensation injuries and illnesses need the highest level of advocacy now, more than ever.

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What Employers Need to Know Before a Serious Injury Occurs in the Workplace

Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ Compensation Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Timely reporting of an employee’s work-related serious injury, illness or death can pose a challenge to the employer. As of January 1, 2020, these incidents (including any hospitalizations, unless the injured worker is admitted for medical observation or diagnostic testing) must be reported immediately to Cal/OSHA. Immediately means as soon as practically possible but not longer than 8 hours after the employer knows or, with diligent inquiry, would have known of the serious injury, illness or death.

Don't Let Your Communications with Employees Hurt as Much as Their Injuries

Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ Compensation Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

A work-related injury is a traumatic event for your employee and their family. Even though your employees are trained and educated to immediately report work injuries, it is sometimes difficult for them to do so.

Workers’ Compensation Fraud Is Not a Victimless Crime

Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ Compensation Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Fraud can happen in every industry, including workers’ compensation. Within workers’ compensation claims, fraud is a term that can be overused by employers who may not agree with a claim, or a condition that has been considered work-related/work-aggravated. Many times, instead of fraud, there is simply a difference of opinion as to whether a specific work incident caused an injury.

Protecting Employees from Third Party Harassment

Author, Chase Hixson, Account Executive, Human Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The recent changes to California’s Anti-Harassment Training Requirements have prompted employers to take a closer look at their internal operations and how they can eliminate harassment from the workplace. A question that is frequently asked is “What happens if the harassment comes from someone other than one of my employees?” This is known as Third Party Harassment.

Understanding Your Claims: What Do You Have To Lose?

Author, Daniel Frazee, Executive Vice President, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Claims happen. They come in all shapes and sizes, from all types of parties, and can cost your company in many different ways. An important aspect of managing the costs of risk start with gaining a clear understanding of your claims. Our clients are always looking to improve their bottom line. This article focuses on just one piece of the pie chart; workers compensation claims. Understanding the nuances of these cases can create measurable plans in the future to reduce frequency and severity of claims and ultimately lower your costs.

Higher Workers' Compensation Premiums Linked to New Employee Injuries

Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Based on Rancho Mesa Insurance Services’ client’s information, we have been able to identify that the majority of work-related injuries occur within the first year of employment. During the first year, the majority of these claims occur in the first six months. Having a system for onboarding and training new hires is a critical component to dealing with the heightened risk of injury during this time period.

Reporting Serious Workers’ Compensation Injuries

Author, Jim Malone, Workers’ CompensationClaims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Workers’ Compensation injuries occur every day. The majority of these injuries are minor incidents which require no medical treatment or loss of time from work. For others, the injury is reported to the insurance carrier, the injury is addressed, forms are provided, and the recovery from the injury is monitored until the employee is released back to work and a discharge from care is provided.

3 Practical Reasons for Timely Claims Reporting

Author, Jim Malone, Claims Advocate, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

When a work-related accident occurs, as a business owner or manager, it is our nature to want to analyze the situation in order to learn how to avoid it in the future. However, the reporting of the incident is equally as important. With the recent requirement to report first aid claims, timely reporting for all claims is recognized as being critical for a number of reasons.