Workers’ Compensation for Clients and for Docs!

It's Wednesday and injured workers is our discussion for today. We like questions from doctors who treat injured workers, because I've found over the 30+ years of helping both that doctors are equally confused about how to deal with a heartless insurance industry. I do maintain confidentiality but everyone can learn from the individual questions.

As far as workers' compensation cases go it's been a terribly aggravating week of dealing with an insurance industry that cares only about finding ways to cut off the benefits of injured workers instead of just getting them mended and back to work.

Today let's start with the ambulance-semi-truck crash that earlier occurred in Boone County, Iowa.

In the incident an ambulance driver was given a 10-day suspended jail sentence for his role in an accident that killed several people after the ambulance crashed with a semi-truck. The semi-truck driver along with the ambulance driver are entitled to receive workers' compensation; the dependents of the other ambulance crewmember killed can also receive workers' compensation benefits and there may or could be a third-party negligence suit involving the entire accident that would include not just the crew and the truck driver but also the patient that was in the ambulance. Let's face it we live in what appears to be a complicated world but in reality we live in a world where specialization creates a finer degree of separation between how we deal with reality of our lives.

In this next crash we have a volunteer firefighter that died in a car crash in New Mexico; not Iowa. I have no way of knowing the details of the crash but if it were in Iowa and he were on his way to a fire then it's probably covered under their workers' comp. program.

NM firefighter killed in off-duty crash
FireRescue1
A native of Iowa, Bodson was a Civil War re-enactor who attended Wentworth ... Río Fernando firefighters, Bodson's death was more than losing a co-worker. ...

This next story comes to us via the contractor's website that is reporting on the Chicago Tribune News from January 5, 2011. Do you recall the worker installing new windows at the University of Iowa School of Law that fell and died? This is a follow up story about that man, Tom Fosdick. IOSH or OSHA is suggesting a fine of $8,750. As reported the "citation says the company failed to train employees on the safe use of ladders. In particular, it says an employee used a ladder with fully-extended levelers despite a manufacturer's warning not to do so." It may also provide for fall protection issues as well as using the ladder in manner the manufacturer says not to use it. As you will see there are three different stories about this worker's fall from heights.

Iowa proposes safety fine in glass worker's death - Chicago ...
By "occupational safety" location:usa - Google News
Iowa proposes safety fine in glass worker's death. Chicago Tribune Iowa's Occupational Safety and Health Bureau on Wednesday released the findings of its inspection of Clive-based Swanson Glass, Inc. in the wake of the . ...
ContractorSafety.Net - http://contractorsafety.net/

Iowa proposes safety fine in glass worker's death - Topix
Iowa proposes safety fine in glass worker's death ... Banning K2: Indianola Parents Say It Killed The... Jan 3, Thomas Jefferson, 38 ...
www.topix.com/.../iowa-proposes-safety-fine-in-glass-workers...

Employer facing OSHA violations, fine from fatal Boyd fall
Iowa City Press Citizen
A state investigation found five "serious" Occupational Health and Safety ... for a fatal accident on a construction job at University of Iowa in August. ...

The next report is about FELA cases in Iowa. I don't handle these cases, I refer them out and work alongside the lawyers that have done this work and know how to handle them. They are a specialized area of the law and clients need to be protected. There are actually two stories about these types of railroad cases and injured railroad workers in Iowa. You can certainly call me and I'll help you find the right attorney.

Iowa Interstate Railroad Employee Injured on Job - YardLimits.com
By FELA FELLA's Helpers
Railroad Worker Injured Near Council Bluffs, Iowa-FELA LAWYER NEWS COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - An Iowa Interstate Railroad employee from Omaha was injured.
YardLimits.com - http://www.yardlimits.com/forums/

Railroad Worker Injured | Council Bluffs, Iowa LocalSpur - News ...
By kroger609
Railroad Worker Injured - Fri Jan 07 02:25:23 UTC 2011 An Omaha man was injured when he became pinned by a train car at a power plant south of Council Bluffs Thursday morning. about: Council Bluffs Iowa Omaha Omaha Nebraska train car.

I see also a story about the Department of Energy's injured workers act. All I can say is if you're an Iowa worker then hire an Iowa attorney to assist you. You don't have to go to San Diego to get a qualified attorney. Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

I think next week we'll talk about the going-n-coming rule. Keep in mind that you want Iowa lawyers here for you when you need us; so to have that happen we need you to call upon us and not go out of state for workers' compensation lawyers to help you with your Iowa case. We are here paying taxes and buying the goods and using the services that Iowa workers make and provide. In the end we need each other.