In handling a third party case, your primary concern should be to?

• A. Maximizing the employer's recovery
• B. Putting the third party on notice of your claim
• C. Filing the suit against the third party
• D. Closing the file

Answer: (A)

In handling a third-party case, the key idea is subrogation—recovering benefits the employer or insurer has already paid to the employee from the party at fault. The primary concern is to maximize the employer’s recovery, so the goal is to recoup as much of the costs advanced on the employee’s behalf as possible. This includes past and future medical expenses and indemnity benefits, and it may involve structuring settlements and lien negotiations to preserve and optimize that recovery.

Putting the third party on notice is an important step to protect the right to recover, and filing a suit can be necessary to enforce that recovery, but these are means to the overarching objective rather than the endpoint itself. Closing the file would prematurely foreclose any recovery, so it isn’t the primary aim.