In this episode of Straight Outta Worker’s Comp, co-hosts Bob Wilson and Mark Pew sit down with Chris Loveless, a Work Comp College WRP (Workers’ Recovery Professional) graduate who spent a decade in Utah law enforcement—including time on a SWAT team, a Metro gang unit, and as a K-9 handler—before transitioning into the workers’ comp industry, where he now works in business development at OneCall. The conversation traces his unusual path from first responder to industry stakeholder, drawing on his firsthand perspective as both a former officer who responded to catastrophic workplace injuries and an injured worker himself, having been T-boned by a drunk driver while on duty and then navigating a frustrating claims experience over a disputed neck injury. Chris reflects on how that empathy informs his work with municipalities and first responders, how the WRP program filled the training gap he faced entering comp with zero formal instruction, and how relationships and mentors opened doors in this tight-knit, relationship-driven industry. He closes with candid advice for newcomers – get educated, get comfortable being uncomfortable, keep the injured worker top of mind, and if you’re thinking about a career in workers’ comp, “just do it.”
