It’s Our 2nd Anniversary!
At The Law Offices of Melissa J. Lyons, Inc., we celebrated our second anniversary last month. The firm may be two years old, but Melissa’s journey to becoming an attorney who advocates for workers’ rights began when she was nine years old. When Melissa was a child, her mother suffered a significant lumbar spine injury […]
Psychiatric Injuries in Workers’ Compensation
Physical injuries are never easy, but the injuries are easier to diagnose and prove as work-related in a workers’ compensation case. Psych cases, or “psychiatric injuries” as they’re referred to by the State of California, can be trickier to handle. Yet, it’s important employees receive the benefits to which they’re entitled, regardless of whether the […]
Employment Issues with Workers Compensation
Suffering an injury on the job can be extraordinarily stressful. There’s the stress and pain of an injury, as well as finding treatment, and securing the workers’ compensation benefits to which you’re entitled. An added stress is worrying about your employment. What are my benefits? Workers’ compensation covers five basic types of benefits: Medical care: Paid […]
Temporary Disability vs Permanent Disability
Suffering an injury at work is always tough. The stress of going through the workers’ compensation process can make it even tougher. One of the common questions people have when they’re injured is, “What’s the difference between temporary disability and permanent disability?” What is the difference? Temporary and permanent disability are both there to provide […]
Understanding the QME Process
QME stands for Qualified Medical Evaluator. The State of California defines QMEs as “Qualified physicians who are certified by the Division of Workers Compensation, a Medical Unit focused on examining injured workers to evaluate disability and write medical-legal reports.” What is the QME process for injured workers? A certified physician determines if a patient was […]
Denied Claims
The phrase “denied claim” will add anxiety and stress to an already-difficult situation, but it is not a reason to panic. California has one of the most robust workers’ compensation programs in the country. It is also one of the largest, and anytime you have something that large, bureaucracy is necessary to keep it afloat. […]
Challenges Obtaining Treatment in Workers’ Compensation Cases
Suffering an injury at work is bad enough. Going through the process of filing workers’ compensation claim(s) and getting medical treatment can make life even more difficult. It’s incredibly frustrating to suffer an injury and then have trouble getting appropriate treatment. Worse, it can make injuries worse and cause more systemic medical issues. Every workers’ […]
What’s the difference between a specific DOI vs. CT DOI?
DOI is shorthand for a specific Date of Injury in Workers’ Compensation law. CT DOI is shorthand for Cumulative Trauma DOI (also called Continuous Trauma). In many cases, the date of when an injury occurred is clear and obvious. If a worker slips and falls on the job, they’ll know the date that injury happened […]
Utilization Review
Utilization Review (UR) is one of the most important parts of the workers’ compensation process in California, and like many legal topics, the terminology can be confusing to laypeople. What exactly is Utilization Review (UR)? The State of California defines UR as: “the process used by employers or claims administrators to review treatment to determine […]
Workers’ Compensation Settlements
Your Workers’ Compensation case is settled when you come to an agreement with the defendant about your injury, which includes permanent disability and future medical care. Generally, settlements occur when you reach maximum medical improvement by the doctor. There are two different ways to settle a Workers’ Compensation injury in California: STIPS: Stipulations with Request […]