Some issues aren’t worth fighting over. Yet, parties and counsel frequently do take a stand when they might do better by taking a step back and just throwing that issue away. It’s the Principle of the Thing OK, you’re completely right on this issue—but what is the big picture? A fight over a $300 interpreter […]
Some Workers Compensation Claims seem to have a life of their own. Before you know it, years have passed since the Date of Injury. Here are 3 signals telling you to take a hard look at settling now. The Injured Workers is 61 years old. Once an injured worker reaches age 62½, any buy-out of future medical […]
(c) Teddy Snyder SnyderMediations.com ‘Twas the night before mediation And all through the firm Not a creature was stirring, Not even a worm But then one lawyer Asleep on a couch Shot up, hit his head And said with an “Ouch” Oh my, I’ve got That mediation tomorrow I didn’t do a brief Much, much […]
Tactics are steps you take to win short term goals on the way to achieving your strategic objective. Sometimes tactical skirmishes distract workers compensation professionals from pursuit of their strategic goal. On the other hand, you can’t reach your strategic objective without well-thought-out tactics. The Disputed Doctor’s Deposition Take the case where an attorney insisted […]
Understanding insurance reserves can help settle a claim. A reserve is a pot of money set aside to pay for a specific expense category. Typically, there are separate pots for indemnity, medical and med-legal expenses. Sometimes a negotiator finds that a claim can be closed for an amount more than remains in the indemnity […]
Halloween is just around the corner, a time when people love to be scared. It’s fun, because everyone knows there’s really nothing scary at all. Mediation isn’t scary. Yet some claim and legal professionals fear it. Fear of losing control Adjusters and attorneys know their jobs. They may bristle at the idea of someone else […]
Medical identity theft occurs when a thief obtains treatment using the victim’s social security number or health insurance identification number. Authorities also report arrests of care providers who have stolen medical identities and submitted bills for treatment they never performed. Cyber-attacks on medical data have produced a market for this kind of information. Treatment A […]
“Grandma, why did you move my chopsticks?” My extended family was dining on Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and fried wantons. Without missing a beat I answered, “Well, Ashley, I’m all about risk management. I noticed your chopsticks were sticking out over your lap, and there was a risk you or I might knock them […]
You know the claims I’m talking about: the really old claims where the Injured Worker is representing himself/herself. Let’s call them “in pro per”s. Active in pro pers file one court paper after another, causing the insurer or self-insured employer to fund what seems like a never-ending stream of money to send a representative to the […]
Workers Compensation professionals have to know a lot: the California Labor Code, Title 8 regulations, state and federal rules governing health care entitlements. To make things even harder, the rules of this highly-governed road keep changing. Workers Compensation may be the most intricate, heavily regulated area of practice. These rules can constrain the parties’ ability […]