Blog — Workers' Compensation Injury

Harvey’s Cleaners Team wins Annual Chamber Golf Tournament

Congratulations to Harvey & Karen Tulchinsky, Dan Karas & Rodman Martin on winning the Annual Dublin Chamber of Commerce golf tournament on Monday, June 13th at Dublin Ranch Golf Course.

The Big O Tires team consisting of Greg Mitchell, Bruce Cherry, Barry Hart & Paul McKellar received the award for low net.  Congratulations Big O Tires!

Thank you to all the all sponsors, players, volunteers and staff of Dublin Ranch Golf Course along with everyone else for helping to make this event such a success!

The Medical Unit is the office responsible for issuing the Panel Qualified Medical Evaluation lists. In speaking with the Medical Unit, they are now processing requests from March 2011. So, if you have submitted a request after March 2011, be patient.  The Medical Unit assures us our requests will be processed as soon as possible.

When a defendant, either the claims adjuster or an attorney, schedules your deposition it can be very stressful. Depositions can be scheduled at any time and on more than one occasion. Depositions are question and answer sessions under oath. An attorney from our office will be with you during the entire deposition to make sure your interests are protected. For more details on depositions, see the deposition icon on our web page.

We are pleased to announce that Justin C. Sonnicksen has joined our law office as an associate attorney. With over eight years experience in Workers’ Compensation, Justin will focus primarily on representing clients that have sustained work related injuries. Justin is a welcome addition to our office. Pegnim and Ivancich, LLP, represents clients in Personal Injury, Social Security Disability and Worker’s Compensation cases.

Evaluations by an AGREED MEDICAL EVALUATOR (AME) or a PANEL QUALIFIED MEDICAL EVALUATOR (PQME)  have become more complex than ever. It is very important the initial questionnaire is completed accurately. If you are unable to complete the answers to the questions and need assistance, it is really important to write on the questionnaire itself if you had help. For example,  you could note by your signature line “also completed by _____” and have whoever helped you sign next to your name. The doctors make assumptions about you and your case based upon your answers. If you tell an AME or a PQME that you love your job when he/she asks if your job is stressful, then they will assume you are not under any stress at work. If the physician  makes the wrong assumption, you will get less settlement or even worse, your case could be wiped out completely. So, if you need help with the questionnaire or are unsure if it has been completed accurately, please call our office. The legal assistant assigned to your case would be more than happy to help you.

1. What are your holiday hours?

Our office will be closed December 16 from 10:30am to the until the end of the day for a holiday function.

We will also be closed on December 24, 27, 30,  31

2. I am supposed to receive a check in the mail and it has not come.

Keep in mind that December is the busiest month for mail so most times your check has been cut and is at the post office waiting to go out along with thousands of other packages and cards for the holiday season.  Please allow at least 3 to 4 days before you check is supposed to arrive before calling our office.

3. My assistant is not available to speak me and I have an urgent matter, what do I do?

Because it is the holiday season many of our employees are out during these next couple weeks.  If it is an urgent matter anyone in our office will be happy to assist you.  Please be patient with us when we are not familiar with your file.

4. Are there any other offices closed in the next couple of weeks?

Many doctor offices are closed from the 24th through the first week in January so if  you need prescriptions or off work slips make sure to get them ahead of time.

If you are a member of Anthem Blue Cross the only perk is not medical coverage.  Anthem Blue Cross now offers special discounts on the following:

Barnes & Noble.com: you receive 5% off your online order and free shipping with orders over $25 (Easy and affordable way to shop for holiday gifts!)

Jenny Craig: Receive a 30-day trial free and 50% off the sixth month program (great idea to lose the holiday weight!)

SelfHelpWorks: receive a free 30-day free guest pass and %30 discount.  This program helps with weight loss, smoking, alcohol consumption (Get started on your New Year’s resolution!)

Drugstore.com: %5 discount on health and wellness items and free shipping with orders of $49 or more (You can avoid the hassle of going to the drugstore to not find what you need and instead get it delivered to your front door for a discount!)

To access these great offers you can go to athem.com/ca and register!

Important changes to health care coverage are now the law. As long as you pay your premiums every month, the insurance company can not drop coverage for you or your family simply because you get sick. Insurance companies will no longer be able to place lifetime limits on benefits.  Not only can they not limit lifetime care, but insurance companies are restricted in their ability to set yearly limits.

Children can not be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Parents can keep their children on their policies until the child reaches the age of 26.

Lastly, we now have the right to choose a physician.  Insurance companies will not be able to  keep up us from choosing a primary treating physician for ourselves or our children. Women can now see an Ob-Gyn without a referral from the primary treating physician.

The response from the insurance industry has been mixed. It has been reported that in response to requiring coverage for children, insurance companies will no longer offer policies to cover them.

by Lisa Ivancich

Carrie Nevans, the Acting Administrative Director, announced on Friday afternoon that  UEF and SIF will be suspending payments. Approximately 2000 letters will be mailed on Monday to clients, providers and attorneys stating no further payments will be made until additional funds available in the budget. No word as to when the budget problem would be fixed.

Child support obligations continue whether you are working or not. It is really, really important to go back to Court for a modification if you lose your job or become disabled. The calculation for support is based upon your current earnings. If you are making less money, you will probably owe less in support.  The Court will recognize the date you file the paperwork as the date set for the modification for your support. Failure to timely go back to court, when your income changes, will result in owing more money that you have the ability to pay.

The District Attorney is entitled to file a lien for unpaid child support, including any interest and penalties due, against your workers’ compensation claim. The District Attorney for each County in which you have a support obligation, will file a lien. It does not matter where the divorce was filed. Often the divorce occurred in one County and the child support obligation occurred in another.  Child support is County specific. So contacting the District Attorney in the County in which you currently live, about a child support obligation in Los Angeles, is not helpful.

The amount to be repaid out of the workers’ compensation claim goes back to the date of injury. You may owe more support prior to the date of injury, but you are only required to pay off the amount outstanding since the date of injury.

The law requires the child support lien to be paid out of your workers’ compensation claim. It is your responsibility to know how much you owe. Having the exact payoff amount before your case settles, make the settlement process easier and faster.

By Lisa Ivancich