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General
Practice
General
practitioners practice in the areas of domestic relations, business
organizations and transactions, estate planning, real estate law,
criminal law, personal injury, workers' compensation, social security
and administrative law. Our firm will provide you service in the
area you need by assigning the lawyer with the experience to help you
with your need for legal services.
Although
some areas of the law are complicated enough for you to understand your
need for legal representation, some areas seem straight forward enough
to make you question whether you really need help. Described below
are some of these seemingly straight forward situations.
Auto
& Truck Accidents
The
insurance companies hire scores of people such as insurance adjusters
and lawyers to protect their own interests. They have professionals
represent and guide them every step of the way in each and every
personal injury claim. These are the same people that will be dealing
with you and that you think are looking out for your best interests.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The
insurance companies do not pay a dime that they are not legally
obligated to pay. They do not tell you what your rights are. They tell
you what they want you to know. You are the only one who does not know
the rules that the insurance companies are operating under. Why do the
insurance companies tell you that you do not need a lawyer to settle
your case when they employ professional claims adjusters and lawyers to
review and evaluate each and every case including your case? Knowledge
is power and they want the knowledge. When you make a statement to them
you will be saying things that will come back to haunt you when you want
to settle your case.
The
chances are that at you have more insurance coverage than you realize
and the insurance companies will not tell you. They make it appear that
they are doing you a favor and that they are taking care of you, but it
is what you do not know that is what will hurt you. Only a lawyer with
experience in dealing with personal injury and wrongful death cases and
who knows the laws and how to read and interpret insurance policies can
tell you about your rights and protect your interests.
Dealing
with insurance companies is a long and arduous process requiring
knowledge of the system and the ability to put your case together and
present it in the manner that is the most advantageous to you. When you
deal with an insurance company they want you to sign medical
authorizations and employment authorizations to take control of your
medical records and sometimes even your medical care. You want your
doctors treating you and not the insurance company. It is critically
important not to sign anything and not to give control of your health
and your case to the insurance company.
We have years of experience in handling personal cases and protecting
the rights and the health of clients. We feel that your injury should be
the only painful thing you have to go through.
Workers'
Compensation
They
call it the Workers Compensation Law but most of the rights belong to
your Employer. Your Employer may appreciate you and your loyalty and you
may believe that your hard work and dedication will be reciprocated.
But, the first thing that happens is that your Employer turns you over
to their insurance company. You do not have the right to go to a doctor
of your choice or to even choose what medical care you will receive. The
insurance company chooses a doctor to treat you and the insurance
company communicates with the doctor about your care. The doctor’s
decisions are based on what the insurance company will allow him or her
to do which in turn is based on how much money the insurance company is
willing to pay for your care and treatment. If the doctor wants to
provide certain treatment that the insurance company disagrees with the
insurance company can change the doctor and hire a new one. You may have
health insurance but your health insurance will not touch you because it
does not cover work related injuries. You are at the mercy of the
Workers Compensation insurance company.
When
your treatment has been completed that same doctor chosen and paid by
the insurance company will be determining the value of your disability
settlement for the insurance company.
We have in depth knowledge and experience in the field of Workers
Compensation. We have experience dealing with Workers Compensation
insurance companies and working to get you the care and treatment you
deserve.
When
it comes time to settle we will arrange for a fair and independent
evaluation of your injuries by a doctor who is not chosen and paid by
the insurance company to assure that you will receive the best
settlement under the circumstances.
Social
Security
If
you have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 5 out of the
last 10 years, and you are now totally disabled due to an injury or
illness, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
Many
people think Social Security benefits are like Workers’ Compensation
benefits. Under Workers’ Compensation an employee is entitled to
benefits for a partial disability and can receive those benefits if he
or she is still working, or is able to return to work.
On the other hand, to claim Social Security benefits, you must prove
that you cannot perform your former job or any other type of work in the
economy and that your disabling condition will last 12 months or longer.
There
is a 5-month waiting period for Social Security Disability benefits. The
Social Security Administration computes the number of months between the
date you were first determined to be disabled and the date that your
claim was approved, and then subtracts 5 months of benefits from that
number. They will then multiply the remaining number of months times
your monthly award to determine the amount of past due benefits due to
you. After that, you will be entitled to a Social Security payment each
month for as long as your disability continues.
There
are also benefits for people who do not meet the 5 out of the last
10-year work requirement.
Many
Americans believe that people on disability are not really disabled and
do not deserve it. Our experience is just the opposite. Most people do
not want to be disabled and, in fact, tell the Social Security
Administration that if they just had the “right job” they are sure
they could handle it. Unfortunately, for most people, this is just a
wish and not a reality. And, more unfortunately, this usually
disqualifies them for benefits. That is why we believe everyone thinking
of filing for Social Security disability benefits should consult an
attorney before they file an application and before they are interviewed
by a Social Security counselor.
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