Am I eligible for temporary disability benefits? – II

Sep 28 2016

Last time, our blog began discussing how injured workers here in Colorado can derive considerable comfort from the fact that they’re eligible for wage replacement, otherwise known as temporary disability benefits. To that end, we explored how there are two different types of temporary disability benefits — temporary total disability and temporary partial disability — with the former available to workers left completely disabled for a temporary amount of time, and the latter available to workers who have healed enough to return to modified duty on either a part- or full-time basis. We’ll continue our discussion in today’s post, taking…

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Am I eligible for temporary disability benefits?

Sep 23 2016

In the wake of a work-related illness or injury, the affected worker typically has two primary concerns: their medical expenses and their lost wages. As we’ve been discussing in a series of posts, reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to the illness or injury will be covered by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier. As far as lost wages are concerned, state law dictates that workers are indeed eligible for wage replacement or, as it is otherwise known, temporary disability benefits. When would a worker be able to start collecting temporary disability benefits? While you might think that wage replacement…

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When you have questions about qualifying for disability benefits, we can help

Sep 14 2016

When you are diagnosed with a medical condition or suffer an injury that prevents you from working in any capacity, it is an understatement to say that you are concerned. Indeed, not only do you have to worry about your health, but also how you will cover such basic expenses as groceries, utilities or mortgage payments. Compounding your anxiety may be the fact that when you went online to investigate the possibility of securing disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, you saw that your condition and/or injuries weren’t found among the agency’s list of impairments. Firstly, it’s important to…

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Why nurses are at such an elevated risk of overexertion injuries – II

Sep 01 2016

In our last post, we began discussing how those men and women who choose to enter the hospital workforce out of a genuine desire to help patients are unfortunately at an elevated risk of suffering overexertion injuries. We also discussed how this increased risk of overexertion injuries among nurses and other hospital workers could be largely attributed to manual patient handling, and how many hospitals have implemented Safe Patient Handling and Mobility programs that provide staff with specialized equipment to help move patients and keep them healthy. We’ll continue this discussion in today’s post, examining — and more importantly —…

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After SSDI: Can I return to work and still get disability benefits?

Aug 29 2016

It’s been a few years since you’ve worked. You have taken time to heal from your accident and the idea of returning to work sounds inviting. But you’re not sure if you can return full-time or whether, once back, your symptoms may increase to the point where you have to take time off again. Is there a way to try working and see whether it’s the right choice for you without losing the security of your monthly SSDI or SSI payment? While it was no doubt daunting for you to navigate applying for SSDI benefits, the good news is that…

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Why nurses are at such an elevated risk of overexertion injuries

Aug 25 2016

If you were to ask any nurse or other healthcare professional why they elected to work in a hospital setting, there’s a very good chance that most would answer that they wanted to work in an exciting atmosphere where they could make a real difference in patient care. As admirable as this is, it’s important for anyone currently working in such a position or actively debating entering the hospital workforce to understand that they are at an elevated risk of suffering what are known as overexertion injuries. For those unfamiliar with overexertion injuries, these are essentially the muscle sprains (stretching…

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How are employers responding to OSHA’s new reporting requirements?

Aug 23 2016

Most people might not realize it, but their employers are now subject to rather stringent reporting requirements concerning serious workplace injuries. Specifically, employers in all sectors — from construction to retail — must now report any and all work injuries resulting in hospitalization, eye loss and/or amputation to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration within 24 hours of the underlying accident. While this rule only took effect on January 1, 2015, the data gathered during its first year of implementation has already revealed some rather eye-opening trends concerning the frequency of serious work injuries, the sectors in which employees…

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Will the SSA review my disability even after benefits begin? – IV

Aug 18 2016

In today’s post, we’ll conclude our discussion of the avenues of appeal available to those individuals who have learned that the Social Security Administration has decided to stop their disability benefits after determining that their condition has improved and they are capable of working regularly. In our last post, we discussed the first two levels of appeal — reconsideration and a hearing before an administrative law judge. Today, we’ll explore the final two levels of review: the Appeals Council and the federal district court. Appeals Council In the event the ALJ renders an adverse decision, the next step is to…

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Will the SSA review my disability even after benefits begin? – III

Aug 16 2016

In a series of posts, we’ve been examining how the Social Security Administration conducts periodic reviews to determine whether a person is still eligible for disability benefits, meaning their health has not improved and they are otherwise incapable of working regularly. To that end, we discussed how this review process is largely undertaken by disability examiners and medical consultants employed by state agencies — like the Colorado Disability Determination Services — which forward their recommendations to the SSA. As disconcerting as it can be to learn that the SSA has decided to stop your disability benefits based on this recommendation…

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Why employers may look to wearable technology to prevent work injuries

Aug 11 2016

From smartwatches to eyeglasses with built-in internet access, the wearable technology field is booming. Indeed, industry experts are predicting that sales of these so-called “wearables” will reach as high as $10 billion per year by 2019. While the majority of people use their wearables for things like tracking fitness data, checking email or performing other everyday tasks, experts have indicated that recent advancements in the monitoring capabilities of this technology could mean that workplaces actually start deploying them as a means to prevent work injuries. While this may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, experts have identified…

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