March 21, 2010 4:26 PM
December 2, 2009 6:53 PM
Michael A. Epstein voted a SuperLawyer
Congratulations to Michael A. Epstein for being voted a SuperLawyer!
October 15, 2009 2:16 AM
Has your Workers' Compensation claim been denied?
When you have been injured on the job and are unable to return to work, you may be faced with many difficulties. There is the injury itself that is causing you physical pain and additionally, the loss of income can lead to mounting bills that can quickly become overwhelming, adding a great deal of emotional stress to your physical pain. Then having to file for workers compensation benefits, only to be denied. The strain of exhausting the one chance you have at getting an income during this trying time can be unbearable.
Stress can be incredibly detrimental to your health. Constant worry about bills piling up and how you will get the money to pay them can impede the recovery process, regardless of what type of injury that you have. Instead of adding this type of pressure to yourself as you are trying to deal with your injury, there is a lot of help available to assist you through this often complicated process.
The number of workers compensation claims each year in Maryland reaches well over 40,000. If you're clain is denied, do not lose faith. Many workers compensation claims are rejected each year the first time around. The rules and laws regarding workers compensation claims can be very confusing to the average person, so it is in your best interest to seek legal help to ensure that your claim is given the proper consideration.
Ingerman & Horwitz are workers compensation lawyers helping injured victims in Maryland. If you have been denied benefits, you can speak to our law firm for a free case evaluation. We can help you get what your case is worth. Many times a claim may be denied when the injured victim cannot work.
While you need to be concentrating on your health and recovery, you should find a legal professional that can help you through the process of filing a workers compensation claim. There is too much at stake for you to try to figure out the paperwork as you go along. Any missing information can cause a delay, or many times a denial of your claim. A denial can lead you to a long and drawn out process of appealing the decision. While they are picking apart your application making sure all of your I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed, you are left suffering from your injury and from the terrible strain of the financial repercussions of lost income.
This is a situation in which you should seek the help of a lawyer that specializes in workers compensation claims. You need to be able to concentrate on your medical issues without the worries of paperwork that could make or break you financially. Our workers compensation lawyers are available to assist you with paperwork and red tape associated with a workers compensation claim.
Finding yourself in need of workers compensation benefits can leave you in a traumatic position that goes well beyond your injury. We have the expertise to give you the edge that you need to get the compensation you are entitled to. It is easier than you might think to give yourself the best possible chance for success by finding the professional help you need to get your claim approved. Click here for a free case evaluation. Our law firm does not charge a fee unless we win for you.
July 24, 2009 12:48 AM
Workers' Compensation Information Updated
We have recently updated our Workers' Compensation page on our firm web site. Information features two new articles:
For additional information on workers compensation or any one of our other areas of practice - please contact our firm today.
May 20, 2009 12:48 AM
Seeking a second medical opinion regarding Workers' Compensation
The rules and laws governing workers' compensation can be positively baffling and incredibly difficult to navigate. Many people who are injured on the job quickly learn this if they decide to try and represent themselves. Especially in the state of Maryland. There are no simple solutions to any aspect of workers' compensation. It is essential that you seek the help of a professional, qualified attorney in the event of a work related injury.
If you are injured on the job, you will most likely be examined by an insurance company doctor. When a claim is established, this documents a proper medical record regarding the sustained injuries. You may also want to be examined by an additional doctor. Reasons would be: you do not trust the qualifications of the insurance company doctor; you have a family doctor of whom you are more comfortable; you disagree with the opinion rendered by the insurance company doctor.
Like many aspects of Maryland workers' compensation law, there is not a hard, fast rule regarding seeking a second opinion after being examined by an insurance company doctor. While you do have the right to seek a second opinion, after an insurance company doctor examination, there is not a guarantee, should their opinions conflict, your doctor's opinion will win. The employer also has the right to have you examined by a doctor of their choice.
Because this is such an uncertain situation, it is imperative to find a qualified lawyer to help you and represent you in your Maryland workers' compensation case. Our law firm provides knowledable professional attorneys regarding workers' compensation and your rights. Should you be injured on the job, there is no question that adequate legal representation is of key importance.
Our lawyers can advise the proper course of action should you decide to seek the opinion of a different doctor. We can help ensure that your rights are protected through every step of the workers' compensation determination process. Unrepresented injured workers in Maryland run the risk of having their claims denied and not having their best interests protected. Not all attorney's in Maryland have expertise regarding plaintiff workers' compensation law.
By hiring our law firm regarding your workers' compensation claim, you can rest assured your case is in the best possible hands. Protect your rights, if you are injured on the job, give our office a call.
January 20, 2009 5:09 PM
Resources for Safety are a Click Away
It does not matter how long you have been a practicing lawyer—you’re always on the lookout for new sources of safety information. Whether representing workers or consumers, personal injury lawyers must keep abreast of the state of the art of safety. We want our clients to be informed as well.
A place to start is right under our collective noses. The Chesapeake Region Safety Council, a chapter of the National Safety Council, provides the safety training and education to save lives and reduce disabling injuries in Maryland, Delaware and the Greater Washington D.C. area. Each year it trains more than 15,000 people in proven safety practices.
Over 800 employers rely on this group to teach them practices to protect workers and customers from accidental injury and death. Chances are if they teach it, it’s a standard of care that we can use in court.
While CRSC members have greater access to safety data than the general public, the CRSC website does provide a good starting point for research, even for nonmembers. It offers safety sheets on a number of topics. There are also many useful links to other websites. For example, the link to the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration, or OSHA, offers information on many topics of interest to workers and their families, such as this mini-site devoted to teen workers. The SRSC also links to national safety organizations, state safety agencies and other injury prevention groups.
Among the links on the CRSC site is one to Maryland’s Injured Worker’s Insurance Fund. Although the IWIF site is directed to employers, the general public can use the site, too. There, one can find an even greater wealth of safety sheets setting forth in plain English (and Spanish) good practices on many subjects, such as ladder safety, dealing with ice, driving safely, and power tool safety. There are many more. IWIF’s safety sheets set forth standard practices in many areas, and are a great place for us as personal injury lawyers to start as we evaluate and prepare your case. They also make nice trial exhibits.
September 23, 2008 10:48 AM
It's About Time: The Statute of Limitations
Timing is everything in personal injury cases.
Well, not everything, unless you’ve filed too late. Then it’s the only thing that matters. When you consult a personal injury lawyer, he or she may stop you before you get too far along in your story, and ask, “Now, when exactly did this happen?”
They’ll listen a little more, but regardless how good your case may seem to be, you’ll be interrupted.
“I’m sorry Mrs. ___. You’ve missed the statute of limitations.”
“I thought I had three years!”
“Not in this case. That hole you fell in belongs to the town. You only had 180 days to put them on notice, and you’ve missed it. Unless you’ve got good cause for not doing that, we’re out of luck.”
A variety of limitations periods govern personal injury claims. Two-year periods apply in a number of situations. PIP claims – those no-fault payments you may be entitled to when injured in an automobile collision, must be brought in one year. Some claims must be submitted as early as 60 days from the date of injury. It is foolish to assume you’ve always got three years.
On the other hand, you may have longer than the typical period. Like when you need to sue an out-of-state corporation that has failed to register or qualify to do business in Maryland. Or when you don’t discover until much later that your injuries weren’t just bad luck, but caused by a defective product. In each instance, it is important to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. It costs nothing to have a lawyer listen to your story. Pick up the phone early and learn exactly where you stand!
For information about different kinds of claims (it’s not exhaustive, and it does not substitute for legal advice), take a look at our resources page.
September 4, 2008 9:06 PM
"Personal Injury" is a Term that's Misunderstood
Personal injury is misunderstood. Wikipedia doesn’t help. Although the debate continues over the reliability of Wikipedia–schools telling kids not to cite it and others saying it’s as good as the Encyclopedia Britannica–the fact is that today, Wikipedia’s entry on “personal injury” does not help persons who are injured understand their rights. Indeed, the only external resource listed is a website outside the United States. You’d have to be a personal injury lawyer inside the U.S. to realize that much of what is said does not come from a firm that is licensed here. What’s posted is misleading and incomplete.
The worst error is equating personal injuries with accidents. They are not the same. Accidents occur without fault. If you go around thinking lawyers get liability insurers and corporations to pay out big money when there’s no evidence of fault, you’ve got it wrong. We’ve got to be ready to prove someone broke the rules, sold a dangerous product, created a hazardous condition, or was otherwise legally responsible.
If you’re the injured party, and you’ve suffered real injuries that might be compensable, talk to a qualified personal injury lawyer. Do it fast. Depending on your situation, there may only be a narrow window of time within which to make your claim.
Many legislatures, in Maryland and nationally, have enacted laws to pay some claims without regard to fault. Workers’ compensation is one. PIP, or personal injury protection insurance, is another type of fault-free payment. No-fault laws apply in different ways in different states. There’s a lot of expensive arguing going on about whether such schemes are good or bad, should apply or shouldn’t apply, go too far, or don’t go far enough. Here’s one thing Wikipedia gets right: it can get complicated. Even in those cases where no fault is required, you’re best served by consulting a personal injury lawyer first.
Bottom line: if injured and suffering real losses, ask a personal injury lawyer about your rights. But maybe you’re thinking, “It’s okay, I’ve got sick pay, health insurance and car insurance,” or “I’ve already told my boss and he says I’m covered by workers’ comp.” Don’t wallow in the mud of false complacency. Consult an experienced personal injury lawyer right away.
For more information check out our free (and reliable) online resources. Better yet, pick up the phone. Leave Wikipedia to the web surfers and the pundits.