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Basics of Medical Care: Workers’ Compensation

People often feel vulnerable seeking medical care under the best of circumstances. Suffering an injury at work may incur an extra layer of stress to the situation. The good news, the system is designed to provide medical care for injured workers based on doctor availability. After all, it’s in the best interest of employers for […]

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What is Compromise and Release?

Workers’ compensation cases can be confusing. There are a lot of terms and acronyms thrown around that may not make much sense when you hear them for the first time. One of these phrases is Compromise and Release, sometimes shortened to C&R. In short, Compromise and Release is a lump sum settlement buyout of your […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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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’ […]

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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 […]

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Basics of Medical Care: Workers’ Compensation

People often feel vulnerable seeking medical care under the best of circumstances. Suffering an injury at work may incur an extra layer of stress to the situation. The good news, the system is designed to provide medical care for injured workers based on doctor availability. After all, it’s in the best interest of employers for injured workers to fully recover and return to work. What kind of medical care does workers’ compensation provide? The State

Read More »

What is Compromise and Release?

Workers’ compensation cases can be confusing. There are a lot of terms and acronyms thrown around that may not make much sense when you hear them for the first time. One of these phrases is Compromise and Release, sometimes shortened to C&R. In short, Compromise and Release is a lump sum settlement buyout of your actual (or estimated) permanent disability (PD) and estimated future medical care (FMC) you may need for your work injury in

Read More »

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 while moving stacks of papers at her accounting job. It was a particularly tough injury that required five surgeries. This

Read More »

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 injury is psychiatric or physical in nature. What are psychiatric injuries? Mental, Emotional, Stress issues caused on the job that

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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 for by your employer Temporary disability benefits: Payments if you lose wages Permanent disability benefits: Payments if you don’t recover completely Supplemental

Read More »

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 compensation for the employee while away from work. When you suffer from an injury, temporary disability will provide financial compensation

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