If only someone invented a telephone or a phone number to call for inquiries

100% you need a lawyer to help you navigate the workers' comp system.

Thank you for you comment, thought everyone might find happiness at Starbuck, you can't find the right help for you workers' comp claim. :)

Believe it or not, people will not realize that they are being played by other parties in the workers' comp system. Thanks for your comment.

Hi Analysemarie, thank you for the comment. Yes of course this includes being injured by a patient. We are sorry this happened to you. If you want to talk more and get some questions answered, please feel free to chat with us pacificworkers.com or you can schedule an appointment at a time that works best for you. Here is the link pacificworkers.co/book-your-appointment

Hi, thank you for the comment. I will definitely add this topic in our upcoming episodes.

hiiiiiiii! :)

Have you seen a QME yet? Normally your Primary Doctor (PTP) will say that you are MMI at some point. This means that you have leveled off medically. Given what you describe it doesn't seem like you would be discharged from care without future medical. When you are MMI, you are typically assessed permanent disability for functional limitations. You can have permanent disability and return to work without restrictions. Once you have leveled off, the adjuster may offer a settlement based on your PTP, but usually you can do better with the right Qualified Medical Evaluation (QME). Sometimes the PTP will write a good report for you, but we can't tell without seeing it. We would be happy to take a look at your case and give you a better answer with specifics. You can schedule a call at a time that works best for you, here is the link pacificworkers.co/book-your-appointment. You can also call the team at 800 606 6999.

You are welcome!

You can change it though, with the right people on your side.

When you are MMI you are given "ratings" of permanent disability, permanent work restrictions, and future medical (provided the doctors feel you need it). If you have permanent disability and your work cannot offer you permanent modified work, then you are also entitled to a supplemental job displacement voucher, which is a reimbursement for education/job training. Once you are MMI for all body parts, you are in a position to settle your case. There are two types of settlements that may be offered, Stipulated Award (usually means periodic payments of permanent disability with open medical care) or Compromise & Release (Usually this is a lump sum payment to close your entire case including closing medical). The value and which option you choose depends on what is going on with your case.

Each employer/insurance company can have a different MPN. Sometimes there is overlap in providers, sometimes there isn't. So in addition to the location, we would need to know which MPN it is to make a recommendation. We would be happy to take a look at your case and give you a better answer with specifics. You can schedule a call at a time that works best for you, here is the link pacificworkers.co/book-your-appointment. You can also call the team at 800 606 6999.

That is a great question. We are a California based company so we can't be sure the laws here are the same where you are. In California work restrictions are the most common reason for being released from your job in connection with a workers comp case. In connction with medical evaluations you are typically given work restrictions. If you are provided work restrictions, employers are obligated to make a good faith effort to accommodate. If they can't, then technically you can be let go. Sometimes, employers will say they can't accommodate work restrictions, without even bothering to try. So in that sense, accommodations can be an unlawful pretext to retaliate against individuals that have filed workers compensation claims. Just something to be aware of. If you feel like your job was mischaracterized as seasonal work, when it really wasn't, you may want to talk to your workers' comp attorney or an employment lawyer to see if there is any funny business going. Good luck with your case!

@@WorkCompTalkPodcast Thanks so much! After I posted this I saw it was actually dated the same day. They did make a good faith effort, it’s a physical job and I’ve been taken off of work completely. So I have even said logically it makes sense because I cant do it. Just wasn’t sure legally. Still haven’t heard back from attorney, waiting on the MRI and also my attorney in one of his videos said he’s not an expert on job loss. Although, I know he would know about this. So it does make sense, just kind of funny it was the exact day. Thank again for the response. Thanks for sharing all the info you guys do. Appreciate it!

Insurance has both increased the cost of medical care and at the same time reduced access. On top of the normal struggles people go through with private health insurance, workers comp laws largely require preauthorization for medical care requested as well. This adds another layer of complexity for injured workers. It's not fair.