State Touts Continued Work Comp Improvement

The Montana Department of Labor says the incidence of work comp injuries continues to decline.

The agency’s recent annual workers’ compensation report says that the number of claims decreased about 4 percent over the past year.

Before a slate of 2011 reforms, Montana was the most expensive state in the nation to buy such insurance. In rankings released late last year, Montana moved up seven slots.

Diana Ferriter is administrator for the Employment Relations Division. She says the cost of the work comp insurance dropped another 5 percent in Montana this summer.

The agency said it could decrease more since the state continues to see a reduction in claims, medical costs and lost wages.