I had a Metro cop come to the office the other day for a free consultation.  When I greeted him in the waiting room, before he even rose from the couch to shake my hand, he stated that he didn't like or trust lawyers.  I smiled and replied that most people I meet do have a bad impression of lawyers these days, particularly if they have had to hire one for a minor criminal offense or felt they got less than their personal injury attorney after an auto accident.  Police officers deal with lawyers all the time, and are subjected to cross-examination directed at the officer's...

Recently I recorded some videos on the Nevada Workers' Compensation Law Hearings and Appeals Process. I take you inside the hearings and appeals court to show you what to expect and to describe what will take place.  When you have 15 minutes, click on the video playlist below to view and feel free to comment.  I love hearing from you. [embed]//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLUJuu7bfqNqYkifsFk2tyi75a3jzLlsuH[/embed] To view all my workers' comp videos, visit my YouTube channel here.

 Think twice about posting those photos of you playing softball at your family reunion last weekend if you have an open workers' compensation claim.  Your Facebook photos or Twitter posts about what you are doing could be ammunition gathered by an insurance  company investigator to be used to deny your  claim.  Illinois workers' compensation attorney Mike Hefland posted a good article about how adjusters are using social media to deny claims or to reduce benefits. Photos don't always tell the complete story, of course.  You may have a perfectly reasonable...

For those people who want or who must represent themselves at the first level of hearings, you need to read the Rules of Practice.  These are the rules that the hearing officers expect attorneys and hearing advocates to know when they appear for a hearing.  Although the hearing officers do not expect unrepresented injured workers to be familiar with the Rules of Practice,  I suggest that you read them so that you have a fighting chance in an arena where you don't know how the game is played.  There really is a learning curve and a need for experience  when appealing an adverse determination...

Most people, excluding lawyers, are likely to tell you that it is an obvious fact that strenuous activity involving load on the back in occupations with heavy lifting, twisting, bending, and carrying  will cause more back injuries. Athletes and medical  professionals are less likely to make the injury causation assumption, and will respond that people who use their bodies correctly for physical work are actually in better physical condition, with fewer back injuries than workers with sedentary jobs sitting in front of a computer all day. Add to the discussion that  back pain is prevalent in...

     I asked attorney Gerald Welt, Esq., if he would provide me with a guest blog post on how workers' compensation interacts with the receipt of Social Security Disability benefits, and his office sent me the following general explanation.   Gerald is an excellent attorney who handles Social Security cases if you need one.:   You are entitled to Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits if you have physical or mental health problems or a combination of problems severe enough to keep you from working in a regular, paying job for...

  Can I Hire a Lawyer After I Get My PPD Rating?   Yes, you may.  Just make sure that you are getting experienced guidance and good value for paying an attorney fee at this late stage of the claim, and be aware that attorneys’ fees will differ from one attorney to the next on such cases.  I often get phone calls from clients wanting to know whether the percentage offered by the insurer is fair after the rating exam, and whether the amount offered is correct.  I will review those rating evaluations free of charge to an injured worker in Nevada who faxes me...