Defending Workers’ Compensation Claims in Workplace Violence Cases: Legal Considerations, Employer Responsibilities, and Strategic Defenses

Scott W. Gedeon | Ogletree Deakins

The verdict is in: Scott Gedeon gets great trial results for his clients.

He has spent his career defending the rights of companies—from small family held businesses to Fortune 500 global enterprises—and protecting their interests in the courtroom. Trial work is the lifeblood of Scott’s practice, as he has obtained several defense verdicts for employers in high exposure cases involving claims of serious workplace injury and disability.

Scott handles complex multi-party employment litigation with a proven track record of high quality results for his clients. Outside the courtroom, Scott maintains an active workers’ compensation defense practice helping employers in Ohio and across the nation. He has been involved in hundreds of workers’ compensation appeals related to allegations of occupational injury and disease, with an emphasis on the healthcare, manufacturing, restaurant, food service, education and retail industries.

He also regularly counsels employers on a broad range of workplace safety issues including occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance as well as counseling employers on proactive measures they can take to mitigate workplace violence and accident litigation.

I. Defining workplace violence and compensability under workers’ compensation laws | 1:00pm – 1:20pm

II. Workers’ compensation vs. third-party liability and intentional tort exclusions | 1:20pm – 1:40pm

III. Investigating workplace violence claims: Evidence and litigation strategies | 1:40pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

IV. Regulatory compliance and employer responsibilities in workplace safety | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

V. Mitigating risk and best practices for employers and insurers | 2:40pm – 3:10pm