Injury Attorney at Law: Choosing the Right One

When you or your family members/friends suffer injury in an accident or through somebody else's negligence, you deserve to be compensated in the maximum possible way. For this, you will need to pick the attorney at law who can secure the best redress and also ensure that you are protected against any retaliation from the other party.

How Does The Ownership Of Your Business Affect Your Workers' Compensation Insurance Premium?

When you decided to go into business and considered all of the options and benefits associated with the different types of ownership, it probably never crossed your mind that your choice may in fact affect the amount in premium that you pay for Workers' Compensation Insurance coverage. Not only does your type of operation and number of employees affect your premium, business ownership also has a financial impact.

Save Money on Workers' Compensation Insurance by Implementing Return to Work Program

Workers' Compensation can be expensive, but it is mandated by the government that businesses carry it. The cost of Workers' Compensation is determined by a company's Experience Modification. The Ex Mod takes into account previous loss history, so the more losses and the bigger the losses the more you pay. Obviously the way to keep the lowest premium is to have zero losses, but if a loss does occur there are certain things that a business owner can do to limit the loss and in turn save money down the road. One program that a business can implement, to keep their Ex Mod lower, is a Return to Work program.

How To Buy Workers Compensation Insurance In Maryland

By the early 1990's, all states had at least some sort of protection for people hurt while on the job. This protection, however, was very limited in that the process of filing a lawsuit against an employer was difficult and very time consuming. Negligence by the employer was almost impossible to prove and the legal aspect was complicated and expensive; these auxiliary overheads coming at a time during which no benefits were awarded to the injured workers out of their jobs. Because of this, workers' compensation (also workman's compensation or workman's comp) laws were passed, providing a legal solution to the problem. Workers' compensation was a new kind of insurance which all employers were required to obtain to protect their employees.

How Can a Purchasing Group Work for You?

Back in the 1960's and later in the 1980's, the products liability and medical malpractice crisis caused the federal government to diverge from its historical practice of leaving the regulation of insurance to the states. Based on a medical liability market where doctors and other health care providers could not obtain insurance covering their negligent acts, the Liability Risk Retention Act of 1986 was passed. 15 USCA 3901 (1986).

Why You Should Get Insurance For Your Business

Insurance has bagged a lot of misconceptions from people all over the globe. They just think of insurance in a negative light even if they have no idea what is general liability insurance or so.

Types of Extended Leave to Take From the Job

When you are injured on the job, or suddenly become ill, you may become worried about missing work. If you only work part-time or have to take off for an extended time, it is understandable to have such concerns. You may think that if you do not work, you will not get paid, or that if you are out for too long you may lose your job. However, you may qualify for either workers' compensation or various forms of disability. There are a number of factors that allow you to do so, and some of those factors are covered below.

Use Ergonomics to Drive Down Workers Comp Costs

Working at a busy tire dealership is a demanding job. Employees are typically surrounded by moving cars and trucks, heavy parts, sharp objects, dangerous machinery, and slippery surfaces due to all manner of fluids and oils that leak from vehicles. The simple act of bending and straightening to install tires day in and day out can be very taxing on the body, let alone the stress involved in hoisting heavy tires on and off a vehicle.

9 Tips For Flying Through A Workman's Compensation Insurance Audit

Depending on your policy anniversary date, it may be time to prepare for your annual workman comp audit. Please find below 9 helpful tips for preparing for your workman's compensation insurance audit. The number one goal is to be prepared and save yourself time and anguish! The audits certainly go by faster when you have all of the information prepared ahead of time.

Nurses Affected by Back Pain in Disproportionate Amounts

Back pain is one of the most common ailments that people suffer from, landing people in the doctor's waiting room for this reason over any other with the exception of colds and upper respiratory illnesses. In fact, statistics indicate that more than six million people see physicians each year due to back pain. Frequently, these trips to the doctor are a result of improper lifting. It's a primary injury not just to the population in general, but in particular affecting industrial workers and caregivers. According to studies, nurses are second only to employees in the heavy industry field for back pain ailments, which can trigger expensive nursing home workers compensation claims.

3 Ways to Enhance Your Workers Compensation Claims Management Process

With financial constraints affecting the workers' compensation industry, companies are pushing a lot of their effort into finding valuable ways to enhance their claims process to increase efficiency and effectiveness. With a large majority of the claim handling process focusing on administrative tasks adjusters are taking the time to identifying ways to apply new practices to an antiquated process to improve results.

Things to Consider About Your Non-Fault Accident Policy

In the event of a non-fault accident, various factors need to be worked out and noted to ensure that your claim is paid, and you are compensated for your loss. A good insurance company ought to give you 100% compensation for your loss, as well as no deductions upon determination that you were not at fault.

Difference Between Employers' Liability Insurance (ELI) and Workers Compensation Insurance (WCI)

Employers' Liability Insurance (ELI) and Workers Compensation Insurance (WCI) are two important insurance covers to protect the interests of employees, as well as employers. There are, however, certain differences between the two. Due to these differences, it may result in wrongful litigation and consequently anxiety to parties involved. The differences between ELI and WCI are relating to where they apply and what they cover. We will discuss about them here briefly.

Employee Leasing - Why Use A Broker

There are many reasons to use a broker to help you navigate through all the complicated aspects of the employee leasing (PEO) industry. Many of those reasons are the very same reasons you use an agent to purchase insurance. Reputable brokers will know their client's needs and the leasing companies' backgrounds. They will also be able to get their clients the best pricing, and they provide many free services to their clients.

Employers' Liability Insurance - A Must Have for Employers

Employers are responsible for the safety of their employees. It is the duty of the employer to protect employees from work-related risks and this is where employers' liability insurance can help. It provides coverage for the claims made by an employee against the employer in case of an injury or illness while doing his job. Employers' liability insurance is an essential cover for businesses regardless of their size - small, medium or large.

Why Income Protection For Tradesmen Is Especially Important

There are many inherent risks associated with doing business, being a tradesman and also being a self employed tradesman can significantly increase that risk. Questions arise surrounding your job security. What if I am injured on the job? How will I support my family? How will I meet my financial obligations? These are just a few of the concerns of tradesmen who work in an uncertain environment daily.

Changing Times in the Excess Workers' Compensation Market

A group of companies that band together to self-insure their workers' compensation obligations on a mutual joint-and-several basis are referred to as "self insured funds". These funds are required by statute in every state to purchase excess workers' compensation insurance for protection from large losses. This ensures that the medical bills and lost wages arising from catastrophic work-related injuries to employees will be paid. Until recently, buyers for this type of insurance enjoyed a market with lots of competition, low minimum premiums, and low per-occurrence retentions.

Importance of Tradesmen Insurance Cover

There are many types of insurance covers in the market today. Tradesmen's Insurance is one of the newest insurances of the market that insures the accidents that take place at business sites and cause damage to those people/properties other than the business-owner's belongings itself.

Large Deductible Insurance - How to Cure the Collateral Blues

Large deductible insurance may look like a painless way to reduce your workers compensation or liability insurance costs. But appearances can be deceiving. The collateral your insurer needs to protect their credit risk can put a burden on your credit lines or credit rating. Here are three cures for this common problem.

Workers Compensation Insurance Explained

Workers compensation is a type of commercial coverage that pays the wages as well as medical costs and potential lost income if permanently disabled while performing job-related duties. The insurance plans will pay those costs in exchange for the worker not filing a lawsuit against his or her job provider. The tacit agreement to avoid litigation in the event of bodily injury is called the "compensation bargain."

Encouraging Bathroom Breaks Can Help Keep Workers on the Job

Summer sales are in full swing in boutiques, mall stores, outlets, and other retail stores, and workers often find themselves spending more time at the register than usual during these busy periods. Regardless of whether the customer line is out the door and down the block, employers should allow their employees to take time for a simple bathroom break when the need arise. Why? Restricting restroom breaks can not only make workers uncomfortable, it can be detrimental to their health-particularly when it comes to female employees, who make up the majority of retail workers. This delay can cause problems that can range from missing days of work to being out for an extended period of time, possibly triggering a clothing workers compensation claim.

New York Workers Compensation and Larger Deductibles

Because of the uncertain economy facing many businesses, workers compensation insurance costs is one of the first lines to experience rate increases. This is a concern because premiums for this coverage line are based on state rates, and some states are in a much more perilous condition than others.

Products Offered Through the Group Term Life Cover

The group term life cover seeks to help the employer to protect his employees' families as well as their assets at a minimal cost. The employer offers this protection without the added burden of administration. Therefore, it is important to find a service provider who will be in a position to offer the best coverage based on flat amounts, salary multiples, employee class or incremental amounts. The provider will help the company design a plan that offers optional and standard features that fit the company's needs, making the coverage attractive to employees. The products offered by the carriers include:

Hire a Good Workers Compensation Attorney and Let Them Secure Your Benefits

With all of the challenges that many people are facing when they are trying to apply and get approved for certain entitlements, you can't afford to lose your right to be compensated for your workplace injury. Even though the accident may truly have been something that was beyond your control, you need to hire a workers compensation attorney to fight for your rights. It doesn't matter how good your employer has been to you, the moment you file a claim, they will do everything in their power to avoid having to pay you a dime. It is not your fault that you were hurt, nor is it fair for you to try and have to figure out how your bills are going to get paid. You earned and paid for the right to get your claim approved.

5 Key Benefits of SaaS Policy Admin Systems

Improving performance in the area of new business and underwriting in today's economic times is particularly important. Lower affordability on the part of customers is forcing many carriers to lower profit margins in middle market products - emphasizing the constraint to lower the cost to enable new business to come up. Speeding up the underwriting procedure is also important, since the longer it takes to complete the underwriting cycle for a new account, the higher the probability of the application being abandoned or retracted. Computerized abilities of current new business and underwriting systems are significantly more appealing since they allow insurers to more quickly assess risks and process new applications faster thus enabling them to lower the cost of issuing policies.

7 Important Facts About Workers Compensation Insurance in Florida

Workers' compensation insurance coverage is a very important topic. It's also one which is widely misunderstood, especially when you start getting into the specifics, and the regulations and requirements that different states may have. When is it a requirement, and what are other important need to know rules?

Employees Vs 10-99s - Which One Is It?

Having talked to 1000s of businesses by now I've heard a endless variety of questions that range from asking how much premium is due next month to if they decided to start selling damaged heart pumps, would it be covered on their records store's policy. Was not exactly easy to keep my professionalism in that situation, I mean come on! Back to the point of this write up, the most common questions I get, undeniably, is how to classify a worker as an employee or a 1099 subcontractor.

Safety In The Sun

As we are in the full swing of summer, hopefully everyone is getting some time in the sun with their families, getting to finish those home projects that have been put off since the winter and taking a few strokes off our fictional handicaps. With all of the excitement of summer often times employers forget about the dangers that come with summer. Major violations are handed out each year but OHSA due to heat illness prevention, the top ones being: Lack of a written program, lack of training to all employees/supervisors and lack of access to water. Taking the simple steps to set up a heat illness prevention program will help employers avoid violations and more importantly, keep your employees safe. OSHA helps outline how to set up the program with these simple 8 steps:

Give Me a Break!

I hear it all of the time from clients... "I provide breaks for my employees, but sometimes they don't take them. I can't force them to take breaks. Am I breaking the law?" One client in particular got hit with a lawsuit from a former employee claiming that the employer had not given proper lunch breaks. We see it all the time where employees want to take shorter lunches to get out of the office earlier at the end of the day. While the employer did have coverage in force to defend this claim (Wage and Hour coverage) the employer ended up having to pay wages associated with the missed breaks because although the employer claimed he had given breaks to the employee, he could not prove it and it was not documented anywhere. Documentation is extremely important in this part of the employee records.

How to Stop a Problem Before It Starts

Beside the lucky few business owners, most have experienced some sort of disgruntled employee. Every day there are employees taking advantage of the workers compensation system and filing fraudulent claims that cause hours upon hours of headaches for employers. Even when employees become ex-employees there is plenty of room for them to come after your business. In the most litigated state in the country people are constantly filing suits against employers for reasons such as: wrongful termination, hostile work environment, ADA violations... the list could go on forever.

A Brief History of What Is Workman's Compensation

A Brief History of Workers Compensation Insurance Programs

Workers Compensation in the Ancient World

Almost as long as workers have been getting injured on the job, we have had some formal or informal system of compensating workers for workplace injuries. Workers compensation claims management and processing is, if not the oldest profession in the world, at least pretty close! The earliest recorded formal and legally-mandated workers compensation scheme in the world dates back to at least the year 2050 B.C., in ancient Sumeria, in what is now Iraq. Stone tablets recovered from the city of Ur - about 9 miles from Nasiriyah - established a set system of payments to injured workers, itemized by injury.

Making Flexible Benefit Schemes Work Through Effective Communication

Flexible benefit schemes if used correctly could spell great rewards for both employees and employers. Employees can choose from the different flexible benefit schemes available that would best suit their needs and cater to their necessities. Employers for their part, can use the benefit schemes to help retain experienced workers and attract new talented staffs while reducing health care costs. However, recent studies have shown that reception of the flexible scheme differs from one country to another. Although it might be popular in one country, it does not necessarily mean it will become popular in another country. One of the major causes of its failure to take off is due to the ineffective dissemination of information due to weak and unprepared internal communication system.

Part 1: Why Your Workers' Comp Claims Are Doubling

For most people, "comorbidity" is a term we don't here often. So what does this concept mean? And how is it impacting your claims costs? Comorbidity is a medical condition that exists at the same time another condition is being treated. Generally, the conditions are independent from one another. In other words, a patient who is being treated for a back injury might also have diabetes. In this case, diabetes is considered the comorbidity. The four most common comorbidities are obesity, diabetes, and hypertension and drug abuse.

Read Before Settling Your Worker's Compensation Claim

Worker's compensation insurance is beneficial for both the employer and the employee. This is because while it denies the employee the right to sue the employer in the case of work related injury, illness or disability caused by the employer's negligence, it entitles the employees to compensation in case of such injuries regardless of who is at fault. The amount to be received by an individual is not determined by the cause if the accident whether or not it was the workers own fault. The right to worker's compensation is, however, lost if the injury is caused as a result of intoxication or where there is intention to cause injury.

What Do Private Insurance Investigators Do?

Many Americans think they know what a private investigator does because they have seen movies about characters such as Sherlock Holmes. While these on-screen pursuits are entertaining, they are not an accurate reflection of an investigator's day-to-day responsibilities.

Part 2: How to Lower Your Workers' Comp Claims

In the previous article of this series, "Part 1: Why Are Your Workers' Comp Claims Doubling?" we discussed comorbidities. If you don't recall from the last article or are starting with part 2 of the series, comorbidities are medical conditions that exist at the same time another condition is being treated. The most common comorbidities are obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and drug abuse. Unfortunately, these nasty things can raise your claims costs by about $10,500-$13,500 per claim, depending on the comorbidity.

Internet Mining Investigation Top 10 (And 4 Is a Must)

Nothing Humble About These Beginnings

When I started in the private investigation business, we had the Internet but not the Internet we all know about and use today. The Internet back then, and back then was about 15 years ago, was primarily the America Online community. Email was starting to replace snail-mail as the communication of choice and rightfully so; immediate communication of letters and attachments, the way we would all do business would be changed forever. Soon after, with the birth of MySpace and Facebook in 2003, so to would change human socialization, forever!

Signs That an Employee Is Perpetrating Workers Compensation Fraud and What Happens Next

An employee has just filed a Workers Compensation claim due to a work-related injury. The injury is not an obvious one; such as a lower back (lumbar) injury, anxiety or stress, carpal tunnel, etc. Luckily. you have Workers Compensation Insurance that will handle processing all of the paperwork and take care of costs. Additionally, the insurance adjuster or examiner will look for any red flags regarding the claim. If any red flags are hoisted, it is quite possible that a private investigator will be hired to conduct a scene investigation, take statements from the claimant and witnesses, and, in most cases, perform surveillance on the claimant. These investigations may result in discovery of insurance fraud or just a denied claim. Either way, the red flags that were hoisted by the adjuster/examiner resulted in your company not incurring a claim on your record that may result in an increase in premiums.

Reasons Why People Join Trade Unions

Imagine, just for a moment, a union member. What do they look like? What job do they do? What sort of person are they?

You could ask those questions while looking in a mirror. Union members look like you, they do the same kind of job that you do, and they are probably very similar to you. They want to be able to live in a safe place, with enough food to eat, and time to spend with the people they love, doing the things that they enjoy.

Benefits Enacted By The Federal Employees' Compensation Act

Federal workers compensation is funding that has been accounted for by the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to provide federal and postal workers in positions worldwide with benefits they need when they are injured or become ill on the job. This coverage includes more than three million workers for the government. The Division of Federal Employees' Compensation (DFEC) administers benefits for federal workers compensation through a dozen offices in various districts as well as through its national office.

Workers' Compensation Information

When an employee is injured while he/she is working, they are entitled to workers' compensation. This system provides care and benefits to those hurt on the job. Since it was put into effect in the early 20th century, its laws go beyond covering workplace injuries, but also illnesses that come about because of workplace conditions, called occupational diseases. Compensation laws are different from state to state. There are also special laws for federal employees, and for workers in specific industries like railroad employees.

5 Reasons To Contact A Workers' Compensation Attorney

Occupational injuries are much more common than you might think. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 3.0 million nonfatal workplace injuries were reported in 2013, resulting in an alarmingly high incidence rate of 3.3 cases for every 100 full-time workers. Although many of these accidents occurred in traditionally risky workplace environments (e.g., construction sites, coal mines, and oils rigs), most were reported by employers in relatively safe settings.

Finding A Workers' Compensation Attorney

 Although no law states that you must hire a workers' compensation attorney, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to handle a claim on your own. When you're going against highly skilled adjusters working for the insurance companies that have constant access to lawyers, hiring legal representation is essential. Trying to handle your own case may save you a few bucks, but it will cost you plenty in the long run.

Workers' Compensation Attorney: Understanding the Process and When to Hire a Lawyer

If you get hurt at work, you are traditionally covered by workers' compensation insurance. There are, however, some things that you have to do to ensure that the medical bills are paid by your insurance plan instead of out of your pocket. In some cases, you may need to enlist the help of a workers' compensation attorney, who specializes in these types of proceedings.

Fraud in Workers' Compensation Insurance

Four True Outlandish Cases

Rocking Fraud

A man acknowledged his guilt after being exposed as the performing head of a traveling rock band while he collected disability from the association where he once worked. The shyster had collected $30, 000-plus in disability checks for a supposed arm injury that he claimed to have incurred while on business for the association. The man's 'injured arm' did not deter him from performing all over the country with his group.

Think You're a Worker's Compensation Insurance Whiz? Test Your Coverage Know-How

Do you know the answers to these worker's compensation questions?

1. Pick which of the insurance companies below was not an original state fund?
a) GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company)
b) Employers Insurance Group
c) Liberty Mutual
d) All of the above were funds of the state

Losing Your Virginia Workers' Compensation Due to an Employer's Application for a Hearing

In Virginia, the insurer can cut off compensation payments by filing an Employer's Request for a Hearing with the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.

With an Injury at Work, What Kind of Lawyer Will You Need?

If you have a serious injury at work, you may need to consult a lawyer. But what kind of lawyer will you need? These are the possibilities:

A Workers' Compensation Attorney Considers the Past and the Future

The workers' compensation attorney of today faces an ever-changing legal landscape that can impact whether or not the client will succeed. Rather than filing suits, actions for work-related injuries take the form of petitions that are present to administrative tribunals. These quasi-judicial forums have different practice rules than a traditional court and are governed by state statutory schemes.

Managing Workers' Comp Claims: It Pays to Hire a Professional

As a small-business owner, do you have hours of extra time to handle a workers' compensation claim? You most likely are working constantly on your business and have no spare time for anything, much less processing and reviewing the integrity of a claim.