Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Workers’ Compensation and Wage Replacement in Mississippi
Most working families in the Magnolia State live from hand to mouth. Over a third of Mississippians do not have the cash to cover a $400 emergency expense. So, a few weeks off work could be almost crippling. A few months without income could force most families into bankruptcy or worse. A Jackson workers’… Read More »
What You Should Know About Job-Related Back Injuries
These wounds are one of the worst work-related injuries in Louisiana, in terms of frequency and severity. Roughly a fifth of job-related injuries are either acute or overuse back injuries. Furthermore, since the back is a critical part of the central nervous system, back injuries usually cause either partial or total paralysis. Additionally, since… Read More »
Work-Related Head Injuries: A Closer Look
Largely due to better understanding of these wounds, head injury-related hospital admissions have increased by 53 percent since 2006. Brain injuries are degenerative. Initial symptoms, like unconsciousness and vomiting, quickly give way to more advanced symptoms, like tinnitus (ringing in the ear), severe headaches, and mood swings. These symptoms make it difficult or impossible… Read More »
Wage Replacement for Injured Workers in Louisiana
Most families live from paycheck to paycheck. In fact, about two-thirds of families have less than $1,000 in savings. Many of these families have little or no savings at all. So, even a temporary wage disruption is often devastating. That’s especially true if the affected wage-earner accounts for all or most of the family’s… Read More »
Medical Bill Payment for Injured Workers in Mississippi
Since the end of the Great Recession, medical bill inflation has usually outpaced overall inflation. A serious injury or illness, like a job-related fall or cancer, can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars a month to treat. Most health insurance plans do not cover injury-related costs, and most families cannot possibly pay these… Read More »
What to Expect in a Workers’ Compensation Claim
In the early 1900s, workers and management reached what became known as the Grand Bargain. Injured workers gave up their rights to sue in civil court in exchange for a system of employer-provided, no-fault insurance that paid for economic losses. Over the years, what started as an efficient and worker-friendly system has become a… Read More »
The Three Most Dangerous Toxic Exposure Jobs
Workplace trauma injuries, like falls, happen suddenly and without warning. Occupational diseases, such as toxic exposure, occur slowly over time. In many cases, these diseases might take decades to fully develop. Until that time, many victims have little or no idea that they are sick at all. Normally, strict time deadlines apply in these… Read More »
Top Three Ways Mississippi Employers Cheat Workers’ Compensation Plans
Employer workers’ compensation fraud cases usually dominate news headlines. Statistically, however, these situations make up less than 2 percent of the workers’ compensation fraud cases in Mississippi. Cheating employers are a much bigger problem. Most employers cheat because they think they can get away with it, and even if they get caught, they know… Read More »
Diagnosing and Treating Work-Related Knee Injuries
Various kinds of knee injuries affect hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. They range from very mild to almost debilitating. Many of these injuries are work-related. Falls are one of the leading causes of knee injuries. Many of these falls occur in offices, when people trip over loose carpet or hit open desk… Read More »
Landscaping Workers and Toxic Exposure Claims
The landscaping industry has expanded steadily, and at a faster pace than the overall economy, since 2015. This growth pattern is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. That’s good news for both veteran landscape artists and those who want a little extra work on an occasional or seasonal basis. Both these kinds of… Read More »