In the wake of 9/11, the Texas Legislature took steps to recognize the difficulties firefighters and emergency medical technicians have in proving work-related cancer. As a result, the Texas Legislature passed what is known as the “Cancer Presumption” or Section 607.055 of the Texas Government Code, which states that if a firefighter or EMT suffers
It would seem that proving that the exposure to a toxin is the cause of a person’s disease is common-sense approach to dealing with occupational injuries. But this over reliance on medical proof eliminates other common sense approaches.
Continue Reading Occupational Diseases at Cruising Altitude
What we are seeing are doctors that are performing drug testing on injured workers as part of the examination. Then, if the drug test comes back positive, the doctor is using this positive finding as a basis for claiming some other problem is the cause of the injured worker’s complaints.
Continue Reading Abuse of Drug Testing by Carrier Doctors
When you’re injured on the job and you file a workers compensation claim, the first set of income benefits that you should receive is called Temporary Income Benefits (“TIBs’). Once you miss more than 7 days of work due to your injury, then your entitlement to TIBs will begin. They can last up to 104
Today, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling that sided with the State of Texas in attacking the EPA’s ability to place limits on the amounts of mercury, acids, and other toxins may be released from industrial giants. Justice Scalia, writing for the majority, held that the EPA must consider the cost
In 1991, Texas employers sought policy writers to create polices covering employees injured on the job. To fuel this need, the Texas legislature created the Texas Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fund, the largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance. In 2001, the state changed the fund’s name to Texas Mutual Insurance Company (TMIC) but maintained the same goal: to stabilize the state’s workers’ compensation system. Since its creation, TMIC has accomplished just that, consuming 40% of Texas’s workers’ compensation insurance market. Today, TMIC insures over 60,000 employers and their 1.4 million employees. Despite its success, TMIC recently announced its desire to cut ties with the state. The purpose of this blog is to explain some of the pros and cons associated with converting the state fund into a private company.
Continue Reading Texas Fights over State-Created Firm, Texas Mutual Insurance Company
Access the NY Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/10/us/injury-statistics-by-race-go-uncollected.html?_r=0
Workers’ compensation fraud occurs when individuals intentionally make false representations to obtain or to deny workers’ comp benefits, which reimburse employees injured on the job.
Individuals committing workers’ comp fraud carry many faces—employees, employers, and healthcare providers all qualify as potential violators. Employees become violators when seeking benefits by misrepresenting their injuries, employment status, or treatment. Alternatively, employers commit workers comp fraud not to receive benefits, but to avoid responsibility. Employers often seek to avoid responsibility by underreporting employee payrolls and avoiding premiums. Last, health care providers, such as doctors, counselors, and pharmacists, become violators by duplicating bills, billing patients for improper services, and receiving payments from multiple insurance carriers for the same treatment.
2012’s Top 10 Cases
In 2012, the top ten workers’ comp fraud cases cost America $97,446,500. Below is a short description of each case and its damages:
Continue Reading $97 Million in Workers’ Comp Fraud: 2012’s Top Cases
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Workers’ compensation is a state-regulated insurance program that pays medical expenses and lost wages of employees who are injured at work or suffer from work-related illnesses. Workers’ compensation cases are treated on a case-by-case basis, which means that employees are treated differently based on the nature and severity of their injuries.
In Texas, the agency responsible for regulating the state’s workers’ compensation system is the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Within the TDI exists a smaller division, which carries the sole responsibility of processing and monitoring workers’ compensation claims, called the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC).
A work-related accident can result in a lifelong injury. It can also leave you drowning in medical bills, lost income, and uncertainty about your future. Injured employees facing this situation are not alone—workers’ compensation attorneys will answer your questions and fight to obtain the benefits you deserve.
Continue Reading Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Injured Employee’s LIBS