About Western Litigation Professional & General Liability Claims Management, Litigation & Risk Management Consultants

Professional Liability Claims Management and
Risk Management Services

Western Litigation, Inc. (WLI) was formed to address the healthcare industry's
need for aggressive litigation oversight, as well as professional liability

claims management. WLI uses the experience of its professional
staff and its state-of-the-art technology to pro-actively manage the
litigation and claims processes for a broad array of clients, including
traditional insurance companies, risk retention groups (RRG) and
captives, hospitals, physician practice groups and clinics, acute
and long term care facilities and life science companies.

By providing a full complement of professional liability claims

and risk management services, WLI has built its excellent

reputation and outdistanced its competition because
of its proactive, analytical and pragmatic approach in providing
these services.

Pre-Suit Investigation

WLI performs pre-suit investigations by creating a partnership with the involved healthcare provider and by its own internal analysis of the relevant medical records. WLI immediately speaks with the involved healthcare provider on an informed basis, reviews the chart with him or her and engages the other parties involved in the claim in a direct dialogue about liability and damage issues.

WLI has familiarity with and access to experts nationwide in multiple specialties, allowing for early expert evaluation of the care at issue. WLI is also acutely sensitive to the discoverability of pre-suit investigation and takes all necessary precautions to avoid the disclosure of such information. Where appropriate, WLI will negotiate directly with the claimant's attorney to resolve a matter before litigation, thereby eliminating the costs associated with protracted litigation.

Litigation Management

Once a matter enters suit, WLI manages all aspects of the litigation, including:

The retention of defense counsel approved by its client
The processing of all invoices from defense counsel and third-party vendors
The setting and re-evaluation of indemnity and expense reserves for each claim
The assessment of all applicable state and federal reporting relating to the claim
The negotiation of the claim settlement or the monitoring of any trial and/or appeal involving the claim

WLI has implemented a “paperless” process through its claims management system, including submissions of defense counsel. WLI’s paperless system allows clients to review the status of their own claims and to view defense counsel accounting matters from their desktop. The paperless process has also enabled auditors the ability to perform regular claims audits online, thereby reducing travel time and expenses associated with audits.

Reserving Philosophy

WLI maintains a simple reserving philosophy for our clients - to place reserves that reflect the ultimate exposure, as determined by the client's input and the information known to date.

WLI does not utilize formulaic reserves for medical malpractice claims, nor does it apply “benchmark reserves” based on the status or age of a claim or a specific type of injury. Instead, based upon its collective experience in handling healthcare claims, WLI analyzes the medicine, the experts, the venue and the applicable law to determine the claim's exposure.

Claims and Risk Management Information System (RMIS) Database and Reports

WLI utilizes a state-of-the-art professional and general liability claims management/RMIS database for overseeing its clients' claims. This Windows®-based system is called "Genesis" and was developed internally by WLI. Genesis is not available in the marketplace, and no commercially available claims management system has comparable capabilities.

Each WLI client is provided with access to Genesis through a secured portal located on this website. Genesis has extensive ad hoc capabilities, which allow the user to specify selection criteria to sort and group reports. Once logged into Genesis, clients may view their claims and download a variety of reports in either Excel® or a PDF format. WLI can upload a new client’s claim history, so they have their entire loss history in one database.

Risk Management Consulting

WLI Risk Consulting provides a full spectrum of risk management consulting services, from onsite risk assessments to complete risk and claims program development. Since each engagement is unique, our services are individually designed to provide our clients with the most comprehensive and current solutions to their challenges. Providing everything from resource libraries to focused education for providers and staff, WLI works with clients to help them leverage their existing skills and resources for maximum results. Please select the following link for specific information on WLI’s Risk Consulting Services.

Ownership

WLI is owned by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., one of the world's largest insurance brokerage firms.