Work Related Head Injuries

The seriousness of injuries that occur in the workplace can vary dramatically from minor bumps and bruises to severe physical injury or even death. Although some vocations may place workers at higher risk of serious physical injury, the reality is that anyone can be hurt at any time, regardless of whether you work on construction sites or in a professional office setting.While injuries like sprains, bruises, and minor abrasions may not have long-term effects on the person involved in the accident, other incidents may affect the individual for a very long time. Head injuries are often the scariest incidents because damage to the brain can cause serious harm to the brain and other essential functions.Work-related accidents that may cause head injury often include:

Falls from elevation



Vehicle collisions



Items falling down on employees



Structure collapse



Slip-and-fall accidents
Persons who suffer serious damage to the skull or brain may be forced to undergo extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. They may be unable to work and support themselves and their families for the duration of treatment, and may find that medical treatment for brain injuries is very costly. Brain injuries may also cause long-term damage and may alter the person's memory, personality, and basic cognitive functions.Brain injury can change the fundamental personality of the individual and may have detrimental effects on his or her ability to relate to friends, family, and co-workers. He or she may be forced to re-learn basic skills like walking and talking, and the person's life may never be the same.It is the responsibility of employers and managers to provide a workplace that is safe from hazards that can cause serious brain injury. If an employee is injured while working, he or she may be eligible for compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and other financial expenses. Typically, worker's compensation may be able to cover such costs and will provide financial support to the injured worker during treatment and recovery.If you or someone you love has been injured in a work-related accident, it may be wise to consult an experienced worker's compensation attorney to make sure that you are fairly compensated for your medical claim. If your employer fails to properly compensate you or if they wrongly deny your worker's compensation case, you may be able to pursue legal options for gaining the financial assistance you deserve.For more information on brain injuries and worker's compensation, visit the website of the Pennsylvania worker's compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C.

Salary Increases - 7 Ways to Increase Your Salary

As professionals, the salary we make is so often closely associated with our sense of value and self-worth.If you are one of the many professionals that feel overworked and underpaid, figuring out how to bridge that gap between where you are now and where you KNOW you should be can be both scary and daunting.But deciding to honor a well deserved salary increase also gives you the opportunity to feel more confident and satisfied in your career!When you take that step in acknowledging your value, it produces an interesting effect as you call to action the people and things around you to support your moving forward! Sound a little "woo-woo?" It's actually just common sense and the result of exercising of your own initiative.Here are 7 tips to get you quickly moving forward to securing a bigger salary:Tip #1 Quick...write out 30 benefits you bring to your positionTo achieve your salary increase, you may have to change companies. You may be surprised to find, though, that your current company may be willing to promote you or to offer you more salary.Either way, to make your case you are going to have to demonstrate (and fully believe) the 30 benefits you bring to your current position right now.Benefits are not what you do, but what you bring to your position. Notice that when most people begin to update their resume, they will only include a laundry list of current position "duties," without explaining what happens when they do what they do!Benefits show why a company should hire you, promote you or give you a raise.Tip #2 Keep adding to your listMost professionals are just so busy they don't even think about the benefits they bring to a company.Keep adding to your list because the more that YOU focus on clearly knowing and understanding the value you bring to a company, the more natural it will be for you to confidently see precisely WHY you should be commanding a higher salary!Tip #3 Create a value statement that distinguishes your workCan you describe your brilliance in just one sentence? My tagline is "Masterpiece marketing strategies to focus on, find and win YOUR dream job!"It's a crystal clear and confident message that captures the attention of professionals needing resumes and coaching services!So, what is your tagline?Tip #4 Own your increase!Most companies WILL respect your new salary parameters. Of course, your parameters are not, for the most part, 50 times what you are making now (though, I have seen some enormous salary increases!).Yes, defining and accepting and then ASKING for a higher salary can seem daunting at first, but after you fully accept you are worth it, I promise you that the confidence you'll feel will be contagious!Tip #5 ASK for moreGenerally, we put more value on things that "cost" more. So when you ask for what you are really worth, you will find yourself attracting the exact type of position or company that resonates with your new shift in perception. This is not any special law of attraction - this is simply exploring and defining a new belief and putting that new belief into motion.If you are questioned in an interview about the salary you want (compared to the one you currently have) there are several great responses readily available in most job interview and negotiating books. I personally recommend Jack Chapman's "Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute."Tip #6 Do what you love, ditch what you don'tFocusing your time and energy on a position that you love but a company you don't is a big red flag that should inspire you to look for a company more in line with your professional goals and philosophies.Likewise, if you feel stuck in your position, but you truly respect and enjoy your company, then it is time to reassess your current role. Part of valuing yourself (via a salary increase) is honoring those urges to shift your focus to more harmonious environments. You also honor your co-workers AND your company when you do this.Tip #7 Making a choice to increase your salary is life-changingYou will feel a surge of confidence when you begin to take control of your career and its direction - including how much money you make.The newfound confidence this will give you will serve you in multiple ways, including a continuation of new goals and boundaries you can create in order to give yourself a platform to rise to the fullness of your professional potential.Most professionals that work for someone else believe they have little control over these matters. However, once you begin to understand that YOU are truly much more in control of your current circumstances than perhaps you once thought, you will start a positive chain reaction that can not only help, but also open doors to more work satisfaction, more potential to succeed and more money.

How to Find a Workman's Compensation Doctor

How to select a workman's compensation doctorIf you've been hurt on the job you no doubt have a lot of questions. Who do I tell about this? Will I get paid while off the job? When can I work again? And what doctor should I go to for this work related injury?Here are some steps to take when injured on the job:

When injured it is best to start the process of finding a doctor as soon as possible. This is because most companies put a ninety day cap on when you can file a claim after the injury. Contact your company's Human Resources department and fill out a "First Report of Injury" form to give to your immediate supervisor.



Next, ask for a list of pre-approved physicians specifically chosen for on the job injuries. The Office of Worker's Compensation Programs will usually have a list of doctors you can search by zip code. Then choose a doctor that works under the OWCP. It is your right to select any doctor on the ADL or approved doctor's list.



Sometimes people like to use their own physician. After the first ninety period you are eligible to use your own physician.



It is your employer's objective to maintain a record of your injuries, notify you of your rights, and monitor the time you have lost because of your work related injury.



You will also need to fill out a "Request for Paid Leave Form" and submit it to the HR department of your company if you need to take time off work because of your injury.



Rest up and get well!



Finally, when you feel you are ready to return to your job, you will need to again visit your workman's' compensation doctor to fill out a Work Status Report before you may return to work safely.


Contact UsIf you or someone you know has been injured on the job and is having difficulty attaining their workman's compensation benefits call the New Jersey workman's compensation lawyers at Levinson Axelrod, P.A., who can provide you with legal assistance. Contact us at 800-346-5529.

Insurance Agency eMarketing, Web Marketing And The Split Test

Insurance agency eMarketing and web marketing can be greatly enhanced and refined through the use of split test sends. Split tests offer insurance agency eMarketers greater control and flexibility when sending out targeted emails to both prospects and clients.What is a split test?Let's say your insurance agency is offering a seminar on advanced workers' compensation analysis. Your goal is to maximize attendance and you intend to do this by sending out an email announcement. You've considered two subject lines for your email. The first one is: Workers' Compensation Webinar - Utilization Of Experience Modification Factors and The Impact On Premiums. The second subject line your agency considered is: Web Seminar Tomorrow - Workers' Compensation and Advanced Calculations of X-Mods. A split test send would allow you to send both of these emails to small respective test groups and measure which email resulted in higher registration.How does a split test work?Think of an eMarketing split test in the same way as a wine tasting. A waiter pours a small amount of two wines into two glasses. You taste the first wine, and it tastes pretty good. You then try the second glass and find this wine tastes much better. The waiter then pours you a full glass of the 2nd wine, after you compared and contrasted both wines. A split test works in exactly the same way. Your insurance agency can sends out both versions of the emails to 20% of your target prospects. After the results are posted, your agency marketer measures the number of emails opened, total click through counts and total registration. If version one of your email resulted in greater registration, you can then send that email to the balance of your target prospects, or in this case, the remaining 80%.Why use a split test?Split test eMarketing offers improved performance for the same costs. It also offers greater insight into email marketing composition, subject line creation, open rates and delivery rates. The bottom line, however, is simply that there is no reason that you should not try this methodology for your eMarketing campaigns. For the same amount of money, and a modest amount of work, insurance agencies can quickly and easily improve their web marketing results.Insurance agency eMarketing is both an art and a science. Every insurance agent and agency should carefully comply with the CAN SPAM Act regulations. The CAN SPAM Act regulations can be found on the FCC website under the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau tab. Agencies should utilize multipart mime email formatting, and ensure their emails are composed to mitigate automatic spam filters from adversely impacting delivery rates. Split test eMarketing can help any insurance agency improve their web marketing with more effective and quantitatively accurate eMarketing.

Payment Options For the Traumatically Brain Injured - Part II

As we discussed last time, once the acute care period is over and the patient is stabilized, the resources available to the patient can substantially impact treatment and recovery. In a perfect world, every patient would have unlimited access to the best resources available to meet their needs. Ours unfortunately is not a perfect world.The consequences of a traumatic brain injury are far reaching. Not only are there treatment costs associated with the recovery from the acute injuries, but there are the costs of long term care and supervision, the lost support to the family unit that the injured party previously contributed, the increased physical demands placed upon the caregivers and family of the survivor to meet the needs of their injured loved ones, and the family having to step into the breach of the role that the injured person previously contributed to the family.This analysis will focus on governmental sources of funding for treatment and assistance to the traumatically brain injured.B. Medicaid Medicaid is health insurance that helps people who cannot afford medical care pay for some or all of their medical bills. Medicaid is available based on income, and applies only to low income individuals and families who fit into the eligibility group recognized by Federal and State law. Medicaid is administered on a state-by-state basis. Medicaid pays money directly to the health care providers.1. Medicaid Liens. Like private health professionals, Medicaid may assert a lien on any recovery for the monies which it has paid. However, to the extent that there are not enough monies in the recovery to pay every provider in full, Medicaid must share "pro-rata" with any unpaid medical providers pursuant to the requirements of N.C.G.S. 108A-57.2. Medicaid waiver North Carolina has instituted certain waiver services allowed by statute. These are commonly known as Medicaid Waivers. The Waivers tend to be aimed at different target populations.a) NC-Community Alternatives Programs. This provides case management, respite, adult day health, in home aids, delivered meals, waiver supplies and home mobility aids to AIDs diagnoses for persons thirteen and older, HIV seroposivity and CDC classification of category A, B, or C for children aged 2 to 12 and HIV seropositivity for children up to age 2.b) NC-CAP Choice. This waiver provides adult day health, respite, personal assistant, telephone alert, home delivered meals, in-home health aids, home mobility aids, waiver supplies, consumer designated goods and services, care advice, and financial management services to individuals elderly and disabled.c) NC-Managed Behavioral Health Care Waiver This Medicaid waiver provides managed behavioral health care to the piedmont region.d) NC Community Alternatives Program for Children The program provides case management, personal care services, respite care, nursing services, home mobility aids and waiver supplies for disabled children aged 18 years or younger.e) NC-Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults. Provides case management, respite (in home and institutional), adult day care, day health care, home modifications, PERS, attendant care, waiver supplies and home delivered meals.f) NCMR/DD This Medicaid waiver provides case management, personal care, respite habilitation (day and in-patient), environmental modifications, transportation, specialized medical equipment and supplies, PERS, family training, in home aid, vehicle adaptations, crisis stabilization, developmental day care, therapeutic case consultation, supported living, augmentative communication, live-in caregiver and interpreter services to individuals with MR/DD.3. North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult ServicesThe North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services has many programs to assist older adults and persons with disabilities. The benefits extend to the patient and their families through community-based systems of opportunities, services, benefits and protections. Many of these services extend to brain injured individuals who also meet the definition of "persons with disabilities".4. Short Term/Long Term Disability InsuranceIf the injured person was employed at the time they acquired the brain injury, they may also be eligible for short term or long term disability coverage through their employer. It is not unusual for employers to offer group disability coverage to their employees. While this benefit may not directly pay for medical services, employees typically are eligible to receive a percentage of their base pay as their disability benefit. A typical plan has short term coverage for a period of three (3) months where the employee is paid roughly 80% of their base pay and after that period if they are still unable to work and they apply for long term disability, the employee is then paid a lower rate - often 60% -- of the base pay for an extended period of time.1. Many people also purchase disability coverage's on mortgages and other financial obligations. Caregivers should consider inquiring with any lending institution to which the brain injured is obligated for the possibility of such coverage. These benefits range from a suspension in the repayment obligation during the period of disability to a complete payoff of the loan.5. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is Federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes) that is designed to help aged, blind and disabled people who have little or no income. SSI benefits are intended to meet basis needs of food, clothing and shelter. The standards of disability differ between whether the person is over or under 18 years of age.1. If the person is under 18 years of age, "disabled" means a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which results in marked and severe functional limitations; and can be expected to result in death; or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.2. If an individual is over 18 years of age, "disabled" means he or she had a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which results in the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity; and can be expected to result in death; or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.6. Social Security Disability In addition to SSI, Social Security Disability insurance pays benefits to the injured person and certain members of that injured persons family if they are "insured" (meaning that they have worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes). To qualify for benefits, a patient must have first worked in jobs covered by Social Security then have a medical condition that meets Social Security's definition of disability. The definition of "disability" is consistent with the definition of SSI disability stated above. Social Security Disability is not based on income but the benefits can phase-out based on the earned income which the disabled individual receives. Disability payments from private sources, such as private pension or insurance benefits typically do not affect Social Security Disability benefits. However, Workers' Compensation and other public disability benefits may reduce the Social Security Disability benefits.7. Special Needs Trust To qualify or continue to receive SSI, Disability, Medicaid and other need based assistance programs there are strict limits on the value of the assets a disabled person may own. This can pose a problem when the family or relatives of a brain injured person try to provide for their long term needs by way of inheritance, life insurance benefits or other asset transfer. Often the receipt of such an asset would disqualify the person from eligibility until the asset is depleted. Once the asset is depleted, the disabled person has to requalify and go through all of the eligibility periods. The effect of this is often to frustrate the intention of the family or the giver of the asset. One way to preserve a person's eligibility for the assistance programs while also putting assets aside for their long term care is a special needs trust. A special needs trust is a special kind of instrument which holds title to the property for the benefit of the disabled individual. A special needs trust has substantial limitations on the expenditure of income or assets. In essence, the trust can provide for certain "special needs" of the individual when such items are not being provided by any public or private agency. Some expenditures which may be allowed include treatment or therapy not covered, training programs, transportation expenses, life insurance and certain comfort items such as TV's, CD players, computers, vacations, ball games or movies.8. Workers' Compensation If the person was injured while on the job, they likely qualify for Workers' Compensation benefits. Workers' Compensation provides payment for all covered medical expenses and includes cash benefits to workers who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job. Workers' Compensation also provides benefits for dependents of the workers who are killed because of work related accidents or illnesses.9. Vocational Rehabilitation The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation promotes employment and independence for people with disabilities through partnership with community businesses. The Asheville Office of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is located at 8 Barbetta Drive, Asheville, NC 28806, (828) 670-3387.Traumatic Brain Injuries are often referred to as the silent epidemic. A person's life can be substantially and dramatically affected by a brain injury. Those of you serving on the front lines want the best outcome for their patients and loved ones. By securing all available funding, our loved ones can focus on their recovery.

Workers Compensation Law - A Quick Glance

The law states that in Oregon every employer must have workers compensation insurance. There is a common misconception that a company only needs this type of coverage if they operate in certain field (such as construction) or have over a certain numbers of employees. While that is true in some states no such waiver in Oregon exists. Every company must have it and show visible proof of it to their employees (poster in the break room is most common).If you are at work and get legitimately hurt on the job then you have the right to draw workers compensation benefits. That is the law. You will receive reimbursement for medical costs, treatment, time off to heal, and a portion of what you usually get paid.How bad the injury is will determine how long you are able to be off from work and your average weekly pay will determine how much you your "time-loss" payments are. Generally your pay while you are unable to work will be set at 2/3 (60%) of what your AWW, or average weekly wage is.When you get hurt on the job you need to file a form 801 with your employer. They in turn have five days to file the claim with their worker compensation provider. Your employer cannot prevent you from filing a claim nor can they fire, demote, or punish you for doing so. While it is extremely difficult to prove in court a person was let go because they filed a workers comp claim the civil consequences are severe if it can be proved they did.From the time the provider gets the claim they have sixty days to either approve or deny the claim. If they approve it then your benefits should start within three working days. If they deny it then you have the right to appeal it.It may take some time for the provider to approve your claim. A person usually does not want to wait sixty days for treatment. Go get the treatment you need and tell the doctor you go to that you have been injured while at work and have filled out a form 801. When it gets approved then the coverage will pay for any medical bills even ones that are retroactive. If it gets denied then your regular health care provider will have to pay for it (keep in mind you can appeal it).Also note that it is foolish to lie about your situation. Many workers compensation providers routinely hire the services of private investigators to see if you are really injured. They employ state-of-the-art surveillance techniques which allow them to check on people claiming to be "gravely" injured. There have been many cases where someone actually got injured at home or while playing sports and said it happened while at work. For this reason every claim, true or false, is checked for any irregularities.

All About Construction Accidents

Construction sites are notoriously dangerous places to work. There are a number of different risks to contend with, which makes the possibility of an accident happening quite high. Construction workers often have to deal with dangerous equipment and work with hazardous and unsafe materials. In many cases, the workers have to be physically fit to contend with the demanding work and strain of working on a construction site; any health impairment could lead to an accident.Other potential hazards on a construction site involve working at a height where materials could fall, failure to carry out appropriate safety measures as construction work progresses and working with heavy machinery and lifting procedures. All these procedures require special training, risk assessment and safety precautions to ensure that accidents and injuries do not happen.As each construction site will have its own specific risks and it is the responsibility of your employer and site manager to carry out a duty of care towards you and your fellow employees. This involves providing correct, suitable and up to date safety equipment and advice. If, for any reason, this duty of care is neglected they are then running the risk of a construction accident claim and putting the safety of the employees in danger.Strict safety regulations have been set out by the Government's Health and Safety Commission, and are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that all construction sites are run properly and potential risks are reduced.As with any work place, accidents can happen anywhere on a construction site, and not just in the places you would expect. In fact, most accidents occur when moving around the construction site or simply walking around the area. It is essential to take regular breaks as prescribed by the law when working on a construction site to ensure that accidents don't occur due to lack of concentration. Regular breaks could be the difference between an accident happening, and being avoided.Another reason for construction accidents is faulty equipment. All equipment needs to be tested by the equipment manufacturers to make sure it is safe to use, as even the smallest problem could cause an accident. If any equipment is faulty it is the responsibility of the employer to replace it.When it comes to injuries on construction sites, the problem is that you might not notice the damage you have caused until later on in life. Exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and can be potentially deadly and is why it is essential to use the correct equipment, wear the right protective clothing and follow procedures at all times.If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a construction work accident then the best thing you can do is to collect all the evidence about exactly what happened. This will help you to potentially win your case; so get names and addresses of witnesses if possible. You will then need to get independent specialist advice about making a construction accident claim.Following your accident you may be too ill to go to work resulting in loss of earnings; therefore you may be entitled to compensation. You may also be left out of pocket for medical fees and expenses.If you think that you might be entitled to compensation following a construction accident then contact Accident Consult who have a team of specialist personal injury lawyers on hand to help you with any compensation claim you may have.