Call today for your Free Initial Consultation.
We are here to help!
The volume of prescription drugs dispensed by doctors to injured employees is rising sharply nationwide, driving up workers' compensation costs, according to NCCI Holdings, Inc. Florida based NCCI's "Workers' Compensation Prescription Drug Study, 2010 Update" found a “dramatic increase in the portion of drug dollars associated with drugs dispensed by physicians."
Continue ReadingBelow is an excerpt from a good read on the difference between medical witnesses and advocates, as well as a precedent that disallows someone from being both.
A workers' compensation medical witness is not permitted to be become an advocate. A Judge of Compensation disregarded an insurance company medical witness when the medical expert "crossed the line from being a medical witness to an advocate."Continue Reading
Workers who drive for a living must be particularly careful as winter weatherapproaches. Many workers’ compensation claims arise as a direct result of truck or car accidents that take place when workers’ are in the process of making deliveries or traveling from one job site to another. These injuries increase in frequency when there is bad weather.
There are a many events that can cause motor vehicle accidents. Some of the primary causes that all workers should be aware of are the following:
Georgia law provides that injured workers have 30 days to give notice of a work related injury. However, in my experience, the sooner an injured worker reports an injury to his or her supervisor, the better. Injuries that are not reported shortly after they take place are subject to a higher level of scrutiny than injuries that are reported immediately. Workers are far better off reporting an injury right away, even if the injury later turns out to be relatively minor, than waiting.
Continue ReadingThis is a question that my clients ask me every day! The vast majority of workers' compensation settlements require that the injured worker sign a letter of voluntary resignation. The resignation requirement is typically mandated by the insurer who remains on the risk and does not want to face another claim if the employee continues working and gets re-injured on the job.
Continue ReadingIn my practice, I have represented a number of clients who have unfortunately developed arachnoiditis after failed back surgeries performed after work related injuries. Arachnoiditis can be both painful and debilitating. This condition develops when there is inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the membranes that surrounds and protects the spinal cord.
Continue ReadingMayo Clinic research shows a correlation between inadequate vitamin D levels and the amount of narcotic medication taken by patients who have chronic pain. This correlation is an important finding as researchers discover new ways to treat chronic pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States. These patients often end up taking narcotic-type pain medication such as morphine, fentanyl or oxycodone.
Continue ReadingSusan J. Sadow proudly announces that she will be listed for the sixth consecutive year in the March 2011 edition of Atlanta Magazine as a Georgia Super Lawyer. Ms. Sadow will also receive the special honor of being named for the second consecutive year as one of the Top 50 Women Georgia Super Lawyers.
Amputation injuries in workers' compensation cases present unique challenges for workers' compensation lawyers. To begin with, there is typically exposure for lifetime indemnity benefits in amputation cases. The only exceptions arise when the injured worker is very young and can return to school to be retrained or when the injured worker has a higher level of education and the transferrable skills required to perform a sedentary job. In those instances, the value of the permanent impairment rating will have a significant impact on the amount of the settlement demand.
Continue Reading