One of the most important things you can do is KEEP all of the documentation on file.  You do not want to lose any of this stuff, better to keep a few extra items around than toss something out you’ll need later.

Keep the envelopes they are addressed in because that is PROOF of the date it was mailed.  This can be beneficial because you’re supposed to be paid in a timely manner.  The stamp on the envelope is proof that payments are late.  If you are getting late payments, the envelope is your proof and is used to determine the amount of interest owed to you.

Fill out the contact form to request a consultation about your case, or download our workers comp guide for more tips like this.

In national news – “Congress might sharply cut workers’ compensation payments covered by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. The reductions would take place three years after enactment and, according to the Labor Department, hit about 18,600 people.”

This measure is part of postal reform being considered by the Senate.  Certain recipients may have payments reduced to 50% of their pre-disability wage – a big shortfall especially for those with serious injuries that prevent them from working.

Those excluded would be ones at retirement age or who have lost use of both limbs.

Download our legal guide for Iowa Workers Compensation - if you live in our state.

You’ve probably seen ads or sites that look like the small sample screen shot to the left.  Here’s a few problem with these sites.

1. They are done by 3rd party companies that are in the business of selling leads to attorneys.  This means you could be barraged by phone calls if they sell the lead to numerous attorneys.

2. If an attorney doesn’t have the resources (time, budget, know how) to effectively market online, it could indicate that they are very new to the field and depending on your case working with a newbie might not be a good idea.

3. Don’t you want information.  Essentially you are entering in your info and in exchange you get a call from a complete stranger who is supposed to have your best interests in mind.  Anyone can tell you anything, and certainly anyone can also put up a slick looking website.  When searching for an attorney online don’t request a call until you have gotten a sense of their expertise at working on cases like yours.

For more info on Iowa Workers Comp download our guide.

The Iowa Workers Compensation System is “No Fault.”  This means you can receive workers comp benefits even if the accident was not fault of your own.

If you intentionally nail your foot to the ground this is a different story.   If your injury is an accident it doesn’t matter if it was your fault, a co workers, or maybe a member of the public.  As long as you are performing work related duties, workers compensation should apply.

Download our guide for more info about Iowa Workers Compensation Law.

Under Iowa law, every employee has the right to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.  If your boss fires you for the sole purpose of filing a workers’ comp claim you can bring a wrongful termination suit against your employer for violating Iowa public policy.

If you believe you’re being harassed or mistreated for filing a workers comp claim, keep detailed notes on the situation and events and consult with an Iowa Workers Compensation Attorney.

To learn more about the Iowa Workers’s Comp System download our free guide.

Iowa Workers Comp News

DES MOINES, Iowa—An injured worker can sue Liberty Mutual Group Inc., his employer’s insurer, for bad faith even though his workers compensation claim is still being litigated, the Court of Appeals of Iowa ruled Wednesday.

The decision in Leliefeld vs. Liberty Mutual Insurance shows that James Leliefeld was in a work-related car accident in 2007 and filed a workers comp claim against his employer, Bismarck, N.D.-based Knife River Corp.

In 2010, while that claim was being litigated, Mr. Leliefeld sued Boston-based Liberty Mutual for bad-faith denial of workers comp benefits and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

rest of the story here

http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20111110/NEWS08/111119981?tags=|306|75|305|76|339|340|303|304

What’s better getting a settlement or not getting one?  Obviously you’d like to get a settlement.  How often do you hear about cases being settled out of court?  It comes up quite frequently doesn’t it.

Sometimes companies or individuals settle out of court because the don’t want the bad press or maybe a big legal bill.  Other might just want to get something over and done with.

This Iowa Man just settled his case out of court. http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/2376390f21c44b06963e180b9494c3a3/IA–Workers-Comp-Settlement/

There isn’t a lot of details in the news article about what his case was or the nature of his injury, but this is precisely why we give out our download guides.

Whether your case is settled in our out of court, the items we teach you about are very important.  Just visit our home page to speak with an attorney about Workers Comp Iowa.

Iowa Workers Compensation Law

If You Are Not Careful, Your Workers’ Compensation Settlement
May Cost You Your Government Benefits!
Accepting your Iowa workers’ compensation benefits in the wrong way can cost you money in the long run. The money you receive for an Iowa work injury can reduce the amount of money that the government will pay you in Social Security Disability benefits or Medicare benefits. It does not seem fair, but this sort of thing can happen when an injured worker accepts an Iowa workers’ compensation settlement without taking the necessary precautions.
Here are a couple of examples of what we are talking about:
· The Social Security Administration will only allow a disabled worker to receive so much money in benefits during a particular month. If a work injury disables a worker so that he qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits and that worker does not insist on special language in the Iowa workers’ compensation settlement paperwork, the Social Security Administration will reduce the injured worker’s monthly Social Security Disability check by the amount of the workers’ compensation settlement. The ultimate result is that the injured worker gets less total money than he otherwise would.
· Medicare will not pay for medical treatment if it believes that an injured worker has already received money for that medical treatment. In other words, if an injured worker receives money in an Iowa workers’ compensation settlement for future medical treatment, Medicare will not pay for that future medical treatment – even if the injured worker otherwise qualifies for Medicare. The ultimate result is – if the injured worker has not insisted on special language in the Iowa workers’ compensation settlement paperwork – the worker can end up paying for medical treatment out of his or her own pocket that otherwise would have been covered by Medicare.
Do not let Social Security Disability or Medicare take a bite out of your Iowa workers’ compensation settlement. Before accepting a settlement after an Iowa work injury, the safest thing to do is have your case evaluated by a qualified Iowa workers’ compensation attorney. An experienced Iowa work comp lawyer can advise you how to settle your case so that you avoid any costly Social Security or Medicare landmines. The proper Iowa workers’ compensation settlement paperwork can make all the difference in the world.

Tips on Iowa Workers Compensation Law

Hi there,

I’m back with more tips on how not to choose an attorney.  This is part 2 in a series, you can find part 1 here.  Here’s more ways people find workers compensation attorneys, the wrong way.

“I’ll just call whoever is in the Yellow Pages”  This isn’t a bad idea, however only talking to 1 attorney is a bad idea.  If you only talk to one attorney they can seem knowledgeable, but that’s because you have no one else to compare them to.  The smart approach is to use the Yellow Pages or even the Internet to come up with a list of potential attorneys to further investigate.  There are a few tips about this in our Iowa Workers Comp Guide.  Also beware of law firms that specialize in more than 6 different practices.  You are looking for a specialist here not a jack of all trades.

“I’ll just use one of those lawyer referral websites”  There are websites out there where you briefly describe your situation and the website then gives you the name and contact info of an attorney you should call.  The problem with this is that the attorney or law firm simply pays a fee to be listed by this referral service.  It doesn’t mean they are truly qualified to take on your case.

Again, this isn’t a bad idea by itself, but don’t settle with the first attorney you find whether it’s the yelllow pages or an “Attnorney Finder” type website in this example.  Just use the names you gather at this point to further research.

For more info, please download our guide on finding a qualified workers compensation attorney.

From the Insider’s Guide to Iowa Workers Compensation Law

Let me cut to the chase and say that hiring your workers comp attorney is a big decision with big consequences.  The attorney you select can mean the difference between getting fair compensation, or a lifetime of coming up short for bills and lost wages.   The worst way to pick an attorney is based on haste, emotions, lack of information, or assuming a good attorney, who doesn’t specialize in workers comp, will be fine for your case.

Here are a few examples of how people end up making poor choices when it comes to taking proper legal action.

“I’ll just call the lawyer that did my cousin’s divorce”  Just because a lawyer does a good job handling the details of a will, a DUI, or a family matter, doesn’t mean that same attorney will get you the results you desire with your workers compensation case.  Workers Comp attorneys specialize in workers comp, pretty much nothing else.  The attorney that you may already know like and trust is a good resource for getting you to a good workers compensation attorney, but is not qualified to take on your case.

Pick the best attorney not the guy down the street.  What are the chances that you live close to one of the few attorneys that focus solely on Iowa Workers Compensation Law? Not likely.  Don’t be deterred by how far you might live to that attorney.  A licensed Iowa Workers Compensation Attorney can file a claim in any county in the state.  Your search for an attorney should be a state wide search, not just who is closest to you.  In our Iowa Workers Compensation Guide we outline a simple 3 step fool-proof plan you can follow to get you the right attorney.

Stay tuned for more tips about how not to choose an attorney, or download our guide by filling out the form on this page.