Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Three Situations When Workers’ Compensation Is Unavailable
In 2018, there were almost three million nonfatal workplace accidents in the United States. This figure does not include occupational diseases, such as breathing problems or hearing loss. Most states have mandatory insurance laws which require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. But as outlined below, many employers do not have a valid policy…. Read More »
Top Five Non-Injury Shoulder Pain Causes
Few conditions adversely affect daily life more than chronic shoulder pain. These conditions restrict everything from morning routines to sleeping well at night. Frequently, chronic shoulder pain is also frustrating. Many times, even doctors can do little more than speculate as to the cause. What is known is that non-injury shoulder pain is always… Read More »
Watch Out For These Common Employer Workers’ Comp Scams
Most companies care little or nothing about worker safety. However, most companies care a great deal about their bottom lines. So, workers’ compensation scams, which reduce the amount of money companies pay for this insurance, are rather common. They are rather effective too. Overall workers’ compensation benefits recently hit their lowest level since 1980…. Read More »
Breaking Down Louisiana’s Complex First Responder/Cancer Presumption
Emergency responders have a higher incidence of cancer than the general population. In fact, among some types of cancer, the risk is twice as high. Typically, cancer is a combination of an environmental and a genetic condition. Therefore, tracing it to one specific cause is not easy. Lawmakers in the Bayou State recently passed… Read More »
Benefits Available to Outdoor Benzodiazepine Exposure Victims
The combination of the heat from a gasoline engine and the residue of organic matter, like lawn clippings, creates benzodiazepine fumes. These fumes are one of the most toxic substances known to mankind. Prolonged exposure to benzodiazepine has been linked to a number of chronic, serious health problems, including cancer. Cancer survival rates have… Read More »
Common Workers’ Compensation Employer Scams
Insurance companies would like you to believe that worker fraud, such as faking an injury, is a serious problem which drives up costs. Yet the statistics suggest otherwise. It is hard to believe, but employer fraud costs about 3,000 times more than worker fraud. That’s because employer fraud, unlike worker fraud, is often very… Read More »
Does Workers’ Comp Cover Knee Injuries?
Serious knee injuries are among the most common and most limiting kinds of physical injuries. Almost seven million Americans experience severe knee pain every year. Furthermore, these injuries are not just physical. Knee pain makes most physical activities difficult or impossible. That includes everything from running a 5k to cleaning the kitchen. These individuals… Read More »
What Does the Law Say About Workers’ Compensation and Pre-Existing Conditions?
It is hard to think of an occupational disease which does not involve pre-existing conditions in some way. Hearing loss, which is one of the most common occupational diseases, is probably the best example. Loud noises are everywhere and not just at work. It is often difficult, or impossible, to pinpoint an exact cause…. Read More »
Is Workers’ Compensation Always the Exclusive Remedy in Mississippi?
At a time when many jurisdictions are rethinking this concept, the Magnolia State has one of the broadest exclusive remedy provisions in the country. These laws forbid injured workers from obtaining compensation in civil court for a work-related trauma injury or occupational disease. That being said, very few things in life are “always” true… Read More »
Top Five Work-Related Head Injury Causes in Mississippi
Every year, Traumatic Brain Injuries impact over two million Americans. A significant number of these injuries are debilitating or fatal. All these wounds are permanent. Once brain cells die, they never regenerate. Extended physical therapy can ease the symptoms but never cure the disease. Many TBIs occur at work. Contrary to popular myth, not… Read More »