Handling a workers' compensation claim may seem daunting, especially when you are dealing with injuries and medical bills. Yet, with the right help, it does not have to be an overwhelming task. In fact, determining whether you qualify for workers' compensation can sometimes be a simple process. There are a few elements that you must show to prove that your injury is a qualifying injury for workers' compensation purposes: - Are you an employee? Your employment status matters for workers' compensation purposes. For example, independent contractors are generally not considered ...

Florida sinkholes continue to claim homes across the state. In what Harley Means of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection calls a "perfect storm," rainwater from recent Tropical Storm Debby combined with Florida's drought conditions have created conditions ripe for sinkholes. Unfortunately, the heightened sinkhole conditions are working against home and business owners trying to protect their property and structures as sinkhole insurance rates are approved to increase. Sinkholes are the product of the limestone and calcium carbonate rock that ...

Concerns Exist Following FDA Approval of Generic Version of Actos For consumers and patients who routinely spend vast amounts of money each month on necessary prescription medications, the development of cheaper generic versions are generally a welcomed occurrence. After all, consumers can usually save anywhere from 30 to 80 percent when buying the generic versions of brand name drugs, according to an article in the Boston Globe. However, not all generics are introduced with the same pomp and ceremony - which has been the case with the recent FDA approval of a generic ...

Will You Lose Anything if You File a Bankruptcy? The classic legal answer to that question applies: It depends. Generally, you will not "lose anything," but the exact answer depends on your particular circumstance and the type of bankruptcy you file. Exemptions Under the Bankruptcy Act, a debtor is granted exemptions that permit them to keep certain basic assets, such as clothes, some equity in a home, a paid-for vehicle of a specific value, and other personal effects. The amounts and type of items you can protect with exemptions vary by state, and ...

Responsibility for Workers' Compensation Reports You have been injured on-the-job. What now? Whose responsibility is it to start the workers' compensation claims process? Generally, a Minnesotan covered by workers' compensation who becomes injured or ill on the job needs to notify his or her employer as soon as possible. Then, it is the employer's responsibility to act. First Report of Injury Form After receiving notice, the employer must give the employee a copy of an Employee Information Sheet and complete a First Report of Injury form to send to the company's ...

SSDI Policy Change Could Impede Disability Appeals Obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for a disabled Minnesotan can be a lengthy process. If the initial claim for SSDI benefits is denied, the disabled person starts an appeal by submitting a request for reconsideration. Next, a State Disability Determination Services office reviews the application and generates a new determination. If the claimant is still determined to be ineligible for SSDI benefits, the next step is to request a hearing to be conducted by an Administrative Law Judge. Until ...

Deferred Action Gives Undocumented Youth a Brighter Future New Hope for DREAM Youth For most children, their futures are largely shaped for them by their parents. This also means the impact of their parents' decisions usually ends when the children become adults. For the undocumented children of immigrants, this has not been the case. Their access to education, employment and even travel has been limited because of their immigration status. Now opportunities may no longer be out of reach for some of these children with the introduction of Deferred Action for Childhood ...

South Carolina State Troopers Report Fewer Summer Traffic Fatalities Personal injuries and wrongful deaths resulting from car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents are a tragic fact of life in South Carolina. However, some good news was recently announced by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which released traffic wreck figures for the high-travel 100 days of summer. State troopers reported a reduction in summer traffic fatalities, a time of the year when many families hit the road for vacations and activities. Overall 2012 traffic fatalities in South ...

New York Court: Viewing Child Pornography Not the Same as Possession Possessing child pornography is a serious crime in New York. However, in the age of the Internet, it is sometimes unclear what "possession" really means. Is it enough to simply visit a webpage that contains illicit material? Or does a person need to take affirmative steps to download or otherwise save the prohibited images? The New York Court of Appeals recently addressed this issue, holding that simply visiting a webpage that contains child pornography is not enough to support a conviction. The ...

Tennessee Motor-Vehicle Accident Numbers on the Rise This Year It only takes a few minutes of online searching to discover information about recent Tennessee motor-vehicle accidents: -A 16-year-old teenage girl from Seymour and one of her pastors died in a fiery head-on collision while riding home in a van from a Gatlinburg church retreat. -A 60-year-old Bradley County woman died when her car hit another that was traveling toward her the wrong way in the wrong lane after dark with the headlights off. The other driver is being investigated for possible drug use. ...

Social Security Disability Insurance: Worth Fighting For People know that money is deducted from their paychecks and sent to the federal government for Social Security, and most assume this means they will receive monthly retirement benefits in their golden years. What many are not aware of is that the Social Security program is even a broader safety net than that cast by retirement benefits. The law provides for monthly disability insurance benefits for workers if they become disabled from working before retirement age. According to the Social Security Administration, ...

To ensure that a criminal defense case has the greatest possible outcome, defendants should entrust a team of expert lawyers with the tools and experience required for complex criminal matters. In Tampa, Florida, the attorneys at O'Brien Hatfield, P.A., go out of their way for clients. This dynamic duo has a history of high-profile successes. For example, defense attorney Mark O'Brien was recently able to reduce the potential sentence for a defendant in a newsworthy case involving accusations of child pornography and rape. Specifically, a former assistant cruise director ...

On Friday, October 19, Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Dean Weitzman of Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman, P.C., - also known as My Philly Lawyer - will present a continuing education seminar to the Pennsylvania Association of Paralegals (PAP) on the influence of social media on litigation and trial strategy. As social media - such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and G+, among others - have seemingly become a part of everyday life, their impact on the courtroom cannot be overlooked. Particularly in Philadelphia personal injury lawsuits, statements made on social media ...

The high-profile split of Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes has brought to the forefront an issue that most couples might not consider when thinking of divorce: how religious beliefs and dogma might influence the dissolution of a marriage. No one knows for sure if the split of "Tom-Kat" is a direct result of Tom's steadfast belief in the teachings of Scientology, but the issue of whether differing faiths could "make or break" a marriage is an important one that bears further scrutiny. What Role Does Religion Play in a Marriage? Traditionally, ...

General Motors offered to buy back Chevrolet Volt vehicles after a defect investigation was opened into the car's battery. The National Highway Safety Administration opened the investigation after two Volt batteries caught on fire following crash simulations. The first battery caught on fire three weeks following a simulation. The second battery caught on fire only a week later. In yet another simulated crash, a battery emitted smoke and a spark. There is currently no explanation for the battery fires. To appease customer concerns, GM offered free loaner vehicles ...

It may not be surprising to learn that bicycle and pedestrian accidents in New York City are commonplace, but the statistics are upsetting. While pedestrians account for approximately 11.4 percent of traffic deaths in the United States, that percentage jumps to 49.6 percent in New York. Bicycle statistics are not much better; bicyclists account for 6.1 percent of all traffic deaths in New York City, three times the U.S. average. (See the data in this 2012 road safety study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.) New York, of course, has many ...

An estimated 1.7 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A traumatic brain injury can occur from any type of trauma to the head, and some of the most common causes are auto accidents, falls and being struck by objects. Maritime workers who often work under dangerous conditions with heavy equipment may be at increased risk for traumatic brain injuries from falls, falling objects and other hazards of work at sea. Injuries at Sea Maritime workers work on many different types of ...

Cloud hosting company 4t Networks is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Semaphore Co to provide customers with flat-fee Disaster Recovery assessments. Though disaster can happen to anyone at any time, with causes ranging from human error, a virus, hackers, or even natural disaster like hurricanes, many companies are not properly prepared with a viable disaster recovery plan. While no one expects disaster to actually strike, preparing yourself beforehand is much easier than dealing with the repercussions that can arise afterwards without a Disaster Recovery ...

4t Networks wishes to encourage those in North Carolina to be prepared with a viable backup and disaster recovery plan. Chances are that if you reside in North Carolina, you already know how truly devastating a hurricane can be to the physical structure and inventory of a business. In today's world, however, the virtual damage that a hurricane can do is often equally as harmful. In response to this heightened risk that comes with hurricane season, 4t Networks is raising awareness and helping organizations to protect themselves by offering a 50 percent discount off ...

Atlanta dumpster rental company Haul Masters would like to remind the public that the company also offers full service junk removal in Atlanta, GA. With Haul Masters, full service really does mean full service. This includes on-time pick up even for same day services, all lifting and loading no matter where you need things removed from, the removal of almost anything you would like removed, and even the sorting and recycling or donating of all salvageable goods and materials. The benefits of full service junk removal are many. One of the biggest advantages is that ...

Atlanta bus charter Samson Trailways would like to inform customers that they now offer athletic transportation for schools. School related athletic events require an incredible amount of transportation. Athletes will need to be picked up and dropped off at games, picked up from the airport and dropped off at whatever their overnight accommodations are, and taken safely home again when it is all over. You can make this whole process, which can sometimes be quite chaotic, particularly on a game day, much easier on yourself and on the teams by hiring a charter bus to ...

If you grew up watching football live in the stands, you know there's something about the crisp autumn air that makes the game just a little bit better. Atlanta landscape design company Property Masters Landscape & Design encourages you to bring that stadium feel to your home by adding an outdoor viewing area for your football and tailgating parties. Property Masters Landscape & Design can create an outdoor patio in Atlanta that is perfect for hosting a football party to watch your favorite college or professional football games. The addition of an outdoor screening ...

Atlanta limousine rental company Metro Limo understands the grape crush is an important time of year at a vineyard. This is the time when grapes are harvested and first crushed to start the wine-making process. From August to October, vineyards are hard at work, but that doesn't mean they aren't still open for business. During the grape crush can be a great time to visit a vineyard and see what goes into making your favorite wines or learn to love some new ones with a North Georgia vineyard tour. Using a limousine to coordinate and navigate your fall winery tour is ...

On a contract job, the waste produced is usually far more than traditional curbside disposal services are willing to pick up. Most garbage companies have limits on the amount of trash that they will haul away and some even refuse to pick up construction waste. Unlike many other garbage companies, Atlanta dumpster rental company GreenStar Waste is willing to work with contractors to ensure that the job's waste is properly removed. Atlanta roll off dumpsters can be surprisingly affordable in comparison to other haul-away services, making them a boon for contractors. The ...

Georgia group health insurance broker Providence Insurance would like to warn you that flu season is on its way, leaving everyone, including your employees, at risk for coming down with this serious illness. As flu season approaches, it is more important than ever to encourage wellness amongst your employees. A sickly staff can cause serious setbacks for a small business, and you do not want to flu to get in the way of your company's growth. To protect your business interests and to keep your team healthy, you can make an effort to handle this problem before it even ...