Mass Tort Administration. Managed technology for the global legal profession

Transcription

1 Mass Tort Administration 2013 Managed technology for the global legal profession

2 Epiq Systems is the leader in providing fully-integrated services and technology for mass tort administration. From initial project planning and intake of plaintiffs fact sheets through processing and distribution, we deliver superior execution, expert support and process transparency to achieve successful case outcomes every step of the way. Epiq brings value, expertise and service excellence to every matter. Each case receives support from our professionals with a deep understanding of the unique demands of complex administration for mass torts. Whether your administration is small or large, routine or complex, we offer bestquality legal administration, led by attorneys whose practices focus on mass tort. Managed technology for the global legal profession 2

3 Our services include: Consultation and project management Data intake, development and management Medical records retrieval and review Heir searches Adjudication Lien resolution Qualified Settlement Fund (QSF) management and fund disbursement Contact center Epiq value means peace of mind for you and your clients. 3

4 MASS TORT ADMINISTRATION subject Matter expertise With more than 40 years of experience, our expertise spans the full range of mass litigation practice areas. Our professional staff comprises seasoned subject matter experts attorneys, accountants, testimony professionals and noticing and communication experts. They understand the unique demands of a mass tort. data Management We handle large volumes of data securely with our proprietary, integrated data import and processing engine. We import data in various formats, from multiple sources and standardize it for processing and review. We perform data analysis to ensure all files are processed efficiently and cost-effectively. An experienced processing team is available 24 hours a day. Scalable processing power means we can handle cases of any size, at any time. And our advanced processing technologies and workflows mean you get the metrics you need, when you need them. 4

5 MASS TORT ADMINISTRATION medical records retrieval and review Personal injury mass torts often involve a high level of detailed medical record review. Epiq can handle this entire process: Medical record review and claimant qualification Medical record bookmarking and preparations for submission to defense counsel for qualification pursuant to the terms of the Medicare set-aside (MSA) Follow-up with defendant s counsel and manage additional medical record requests Resolve qualification negotiation issues claims adjudication Epiq provides full-service mass tort claims adjudication. We work with legal teams to deliver the following services: Development of allocation criteria and allocation calculators Determination of eligible claims Award allocation Claims documentation Preparation and mailing of settlement claims documents Client correspondence Draft offer letters and maintain constant claimant contact to expedite settlement consummation CASE STUDY Pharmaceutical Mass Tort Settlement An Epiq Challenge A maker of a psychiatric drug was accused of failing to warn the public about its side effects. They retained Epiq Systems to provide administrative infrastructure, and we opened a satellite office in Washington, D.C., to provide better support. An Epiq Solution Epiq developed a custom database for the drug, which provided an interactive claims submission platform for 18 plaintiff firms. Epiq s proprietary case management software, Claims Facilitator, tracked claim submissions, initial claim assessments, claim deficiencies and cures, decisions by Special Master, appeals, settlement awards and distribution allocations. Claims Facilitator calculated monetary awards for individual claimants based on an award matrix Epiq developed. With Epiq Results Throughout the settlement, Epiq provided administrative assistance for the 18 plaintiff firms via toll-free telephone and support. Epiq provided coordination between 18 different law firms, and successfully facilitated the disbursement of $700 million in award funds to 8,000 claimants. 5

6 MASS TORT ADMINISTRATION Lien Resolution Epiq s lien resolution services ensure that liens are efficiently resolved and that claimants future benefits are not compromised by their claim payments. Claimants and attorneys must often repay Medicare or Medicaid for injury-related medical expenses that were covered after the injury but before the personal injury case settled. Epiq works directly with The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and any individual state agencies charged with administrating Medicaid. We also work with our clients to maintain current benefits such as Medicare set-asides and special needs trusts (SNTs). QSF Management & Disbursement Our team has significant motion practice, and we have served as fund administrator in a number of large mass tort cases. We understand how to avoid multiple plaintiffs conflicts consistent with ABA rules and are knowledgeable and experienced in disbursement and tax filing procedures. Contact Center Our on-demand staffing resources include on-site operators in our 90,000-square-foot facility with the capacity to scale to 600+ seats to handle projects on extremely short notice. Foreign language support includes multilingual operators and partnership with third-party translation service that supports more than 200 languages. Our contact center is supported by a state-of-the-art contact system that enables operators to receive voice calls, chats, transcriptions, , faxes and SMS texts. We build, record and maintain our clients interactive voice response (IVR) entirely on-site, and utilize workforce management tools to monitor call handling patterns and ramp operators to support volume changes. 6

7 MASS TORT ADMINISTRATION Media Management and Mass Marketing A key factor in successful mass tort administration is the ability to reach potential plaintiffs around the world. We provide clients with quality, expert media plan development and implementation. Our media professionals are uniquely experienced with mass marketing campaigns for mass tort and our media managers and settlement administration professionals under one roof provide comprehensive communications, reduced risk and economic efficiency from start to finish. Data Security & HIPAA Compliance Epiq understands the critical importance of enterprise and data security, confidentiality, and disaster recovery and contingency planning. We have many procedures in place to ensure the highest level of compliance and protection for all of our clients. Our operation features redundancy of hardware and professional staff, automated and manual early warning system monitoring and metrics, and physical plant and software failover solutions. Additionally, Epiq is an industry leader in ensuring quality control and addressing and preventing fraudulent transactions. Epiq uses a combination of best practices, proprietary technology and highly experienced claims analysts to ensure quality and prevent fraud. Epiq maintains a Certification and Accreditation for the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), and offers HIPAA compliance for all its cases. We comply with Safe Harbor Principles and are SSAE 16 certified. CASE STUDY Refinery mass tort settlement administration An Epiq Challenge This settlement involved claims from people exposed to toxic releases from a refinery in California. Epiq merged claim and process data from more than 40 law firms, and performed preliminary calculations based on frequency, duration, site of exposure and degree of injury. An Epiq Solution Epiq developed maps of likely air exposure, then calculated claimants potential exposure level and compensation entitlement. Epiq entered claims data from discovery questionnaires about locations during the 16-day catacarb plume, and worked with the attorney firms to resolve discrepancies and fraudulent addresses. With Epiq Results Epiq facilitated the review process, tracked serious injury awards and recorded hearing dates, awards, appeals, adjustments and payments. Serious injury award reports were distributed to the processing attorney firms. Epiq worked seamlessly with 40 law firms, handled 13,500 complex claims and successfully disbursed $68 million in settlements over 277 payment runs. 7

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