Back to Claims School
Patrick J. Sodoro has spent his career helping insurance carriers, employers, and their insureds navigate claims, litigation, trials, and appeals with a clear understanding of both the legal and practical stakes involved. He serves as Managing Shareholder of Sodoro Law Group, where his practice focuses on insurance defense and workers’ compensation matters. Patrick has successfully defended cases through jury and bench trials and the appellate process, including obtaining a favorable decision from the Nebraska Supreme Court. He also teaches insurance professionals through CLE and CEU programs and regularly works with clients to help them understand how legal decisions affect the broader direction of a claim.
Patrick’s approach is shaped by a strong appreciation for the businesses and people who rely on the workers’ compensation system. He understands the investment required to build and operate a business and the responsibility that comes with helping employers and carriers make sound decisions when claims arise. At the same time, he believes claims professionals cannot lose sight of the injured worker whose life has been disrupted. Fairness, communication, and practical judgment all play a role in moving a claim toward resolution.
At the CLM Claims College School of Workers’ Compensation, Patrick brings students the perspective of an attorney who has seen claims through every stage of the process. His teaching emphasizes the importance of understanding why a decision matters, how early choices influence later outcomes, and how listening can reveal information that technical knowledge alone may miss. He wants students to leave with practical tools they can use immediately and the confidence to approach difficult situations with professionalism, empathy, and integrity.
What originally drew you to workers’ compensation?
I have always had an appreciation for both small and large businesses and the people behind them.
I understand how much time, effort, and risk go into building and running a business. I wanted to practice in an area where I could help protect those businesses and the people who rely on them.
Insurance defense and workers’ compensation allow me to do that while also helping ensure the process is fair and that my clients understand what is happening along the way which makes the work meaningful to me.
What perspective do you bring to the School of Workers’ Compensation?
I bring the perspective of someone who has spent his career representing insurance carriers, employers, and their insureds through claims, litigation, trials, and appeals.
I try to look at every claim from both a legal and practical perspective. Knowing the law matters, and so does understanding how the claim affects a business, an employee, an insurer, and the people involved. The strongest strategy considers all of those pieces together and the broader view helps claims professionals understand the consequences attached to each decision.
Why is that expertise important for today’s claims professionals?
Claims professionals are handling increasingly complicated files while balancing legal requirements, business considerations, and the needs of injured workers.
They need to understand what the law says, why it matters, and how decisions made early in the claim can influence the outcome later.
A practical understanding of the entire process helps professionals make stronger decisions and avoid unnecessary problems, becoming increasingly more valuable as claims become more complex.
What is one missed opportunity you regularly observe within workers’ compensation?
Losing sight of the people behind the claim.
A claim can easily become a file number, a set of facts, or a collection of documents. Every decision still affects real people and real businesses.
I think we have an opportunity to approach claims with empathy while remaining fair, protecting the client’s interests, and doing what is legally and practically appropriate.
The human element should remain part of the analysis.
What has professional experience taught you that a textbook never could?
The importance of listening.
You can know the law inside and out, but if you do not understand your client, the circumstances surrounding the claim, and what matters to the people involved, you are missing an important part of the picture.
Experience has also taught me that doing what is right and fair is not always the easiest or most popular decision; however, it is the decision you can stand behind in the long run.
What do you hope students gain from learning with you at Claims College?
I want students to leave with practical knowledge they can actually use.
I want them to understand how the law applies in the real world and how their decisions can affect an employer, insurance carrier, injured worker, and the overall outcome of a claim.
I also want them to become more confident asking questions and thinking critically.
Professionalism and empathy should remain present even when the situation becomes difficult.
Complete this sentence: “Excellent claims professionals understand that…”
Behind every claim is a person or business that needs thoughtful guidance, clear communication, and a practical path forward.
Strong claims professionals understand the technical requirements and recognize the responsibility that comes with helping people navigate uncertainty. The quality of that guidance matters.
What advice would you give someone building a career in workers’ compensation?
Learn the law, but do not stop there.
Learn the business side of the industry. Understand the people you are working with and take the time to listen. Build relationships and surround yourself with people who have more experience than you.
Most importantly, do your job with integrity.
Your reputation follows you throughout your career, and how you treat people matters just as much as what you know.
What might Claims College students enjoy knowing about you?
I am an Omaha native and a big believer in giving back to the community.
I serve on the board of the Omaha Chapter of the American Red Cross and enjoy supporting local and national charities. Outside of work, I spend as much time as I can with family and friends.
I have always believed that staying connected to your community and making time for the people who matter most are important parts of a meaningful life.
Ready to Head Back to Claims School?
The strongest claims professionals never stop learning. Join the workers’ compensation community in Baltimore from September 9–11, 2026, for the CLM Claims College and three days of practical education, meaningful discussion, and professional connection. The School of Workers’ Compensation gives students the opportunity to strengthen technical knowledge, sharpen professional judgment, and learn directly from experienced industry leaders. Each class is designed to help professionals return to their organizations with greater confidence and new ideas they can apply to their work. Explore the School of Workers’ Compensation and reserve your seat at Claims College today.
The CLM Claims College School of Workers’ Compensation is powered by Paradigm. WorkersCompensation.com proudly sponsors the School’s study halls.
