Independent Medical Examinations are NOT Independent!

Many injured workers are under the mistaken belief that seeing an IME ("independent medical examiner") is simply a second opinion to address your injuries.  It is NOT!  This is an ADVERSE examination and though the below video makes light of the process you should not!  Though not all IME doctors are crooks, I have run into quite a few over the past twenty years.  Having undergone an IME myself  as well as being involved in thousands of these examinations during the course of my career, I have valuable secrets to share with you about this process. 

I strongly urge you to meet with an attorney BEFORE attending the any examination scheduled by an insurance company.  Contact attorney Tom Atkinson at 651-333-3636 or toll free at 888-933-5619 TODAY and visit our other website at www.mndisability.com where you will find additional information about workers compensation and independent medical examinations.  At Atkinson Law Office and Minnesota Disability, a free consultation is only a phone call away.

I Settled My Workers Compensation Case Years Ago. Now What?

NEVER ever assume that your case is settled completely. Even seasoned lawyers make mistakes in reading settlement documents and mistakenly believe a case is closed. In fact, I had a well known defense attorney claim to me just the other day that my clients claim for permanent total disability was closed; he wrote a letter to the judge telling him the same thing. I obtained a copy of the settlement papers and guess what? The settlement only closed out his benefits up to the date of the settlement and NOT future benefits. If an attorney with over 25 years experience can get it wrong don't assume you are also reading the documents correctly. Facts change, the law changes, your condition may have worsened over the years. All of these elements can result in new claims or reopening of old claims. Call our office for a free consultation. We would love to review your old settlement agreements and advise you whether you have an ongoing entitlement to benefits. At Minnesota Disability and Atkinson Law Office P.A. we have recovered millions of dollars of benefits on behalf of our clients! 651-333-3636. You may also contact us through our website at www.mndisability.com

Cost Of Living Decrease of 1.14% Beginning October 1, 2010

If you are reading this article you are one of tens of thousands of Minnesota Workers Compensation victims who have had there benefits reduced at a time when they can least afford it. Is there any remedy to this reduction? Not directly, but many of you who have contacted my office have been educated about benefits you NEVER knew you were entitled to receive under Minnesota law. Workers' compensation benefits are NOT welfare. They are a benefit that YOU pay for indirectly out of your salary and with every day of labor you provide. Do not be afraid to talk with a workers compensation attorney; preferably one who specializes in work comp and disability claims. Take the opportunity of this decrease to educate yourself and your family of your rights to retraining, second medical opinions, skill enhancements and even additional wage loss benefits that may have been stopped years ago. That's right, benefits that have been stopped can in many circumstances be restarted after losing a job or having an aggravation of your injury. At Atkinson Law Office and Minnesota Disability our staff has over 50 years experience handling workers compensation claims. There is no cost to speak with an attorney 7 days a week. 651-333-3636 or visit our web site www.mndisability.com

Best Minnesota Workers Compensation Attorney - You Just Found Him

When choosing a workers compensation attorney it is extremely important that you chose one that has at least 10 years of experience LIMITED to work comp! You may ask yourself why is it important, perhaps a lawyer with only a few years is "hungry" and will be willing to dedicate more time to my case. Hogwash. A lawyer who handles car accidents, dog bites, and general personal injury simply doesn't have time to keep up with the fast changing workers compensation laws. Every year the Minnesota Legislature and the Department of Labor make changes to the laws that affecting your benefits. Your date of injury, however determines which benefits you get. Many of my younger colleagues may try hard, but they may miss important benefits that only an experienced work comp attorney has previously litigated for decades.

There is no retainer required when hiring a workers compensation lawyer and there is NEVER a fee unless we obtain a recovery on your behalf. Even then, our attorney fees are paid directly by the insurance company. Call us and let our office show you how we can help you today! Thomas Atkinson 651-333-3636 www.mndisability.com

Top Minnesota Workers Compensation Attorneys

You have the absolute right to chose the attorney who represents you in a workers compensation matter. At Minnesota Disability and Atkinson Law Office we have recovered millions of dollars for our injured and disabled clients. Regardless of who you chose to represent you, Minnesota laws require that we ALL charge the same fee and that said fee is always paid directly by the insurance company rather than you!

Attorney Thomas Atkinson has been recognized by his peers as both a Rising Star and Superlawyer honors indicating he is one of Minnesota's top worker compensation attorneys. Atkinson Law Offices has successfully represented clients throughout Minnesota including; Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, St. Cloud, Alexandria, Rochester and throughout the Iron Range. Our staff includes individuals with decades of experience handling workers compensation claims. Atkinson Law Office and Minnesota Disability have the unique experience of having individuals who have previously represented insurance companies and employers in workers compensation disputes. Our practice is now limited to representing injured employees and are anxious to share the secrets we have learned over many decades to maximize your benefits and monetary recovery.

If you are looking for a top Minnesota Work Comp attorney, contact our office today. Do NOT wait until you have a benefit dispute, you may already be losing benefits that your have been advised. Contact Tom Atkinson at 651-414-0678 or tom@mndisability.com Also visit out website at www.mndisability.com

The workers' compensation insurance company hired a "Nurse Case Manager" in my case. What does that mean, and how am I supposed to deal with them?

Time and again I ask new clients whether they have a QRC or Qualified Rehabilitation Counselor. These clients often respond that they have a nurse case manager which is the same thing. WRONG!

A nurse case manager is NOT I repeat NOT neutral in any sense of the word. Workers' compensation insurance companies often assign a nurse case manager advising the employee the nurse is merely helping that the injured worker receives the prescribed medical care, and to assure that the worker returns as quickly as possible either in a light duty or full duty position.

The truth is that the nurse case manager often works behind the employee's back to push, bully and force doctors to try to get a premature light duty release from the doctor so you can return. Often this actually leads to delayed recovery and even further injury. Many nurse case managers will try to enter the examination room with the injured worker. You have a right to meet with your doctor privately and unlike many states, here in Minnesota you can prevent the nurse case manager from speaking with the doctor. I often advise my clients to discharge nurse case managers as they serve no benefit to the injured worker. DO NOT ALLOW THE NURSE CASE MANAGER TO SPEAK WITH YOUR DOCTOR PRIVATELY, DEMAND TO BE PRESENT WHEN YOUR MEDICAL CARE IS DISCUSSED.

Do not go it alone. Speak with an experienced workers' compensation lawyer. Call today for a free consultation. Attorney Thomas Atkinson has nearly two decades of practicing exclusively workers compensation. Call today at 651-333-3636 or visit our web site at www.mndisability.com.

What Is SI Joint Pain?

Sacroiliac joint pain

What is Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain? SI joint pain has gained a lot of attention in the last ten years as an under appreciated cause of back pain with some studies indicating it is responsible for 15% to 40% of low back pain. The increased attention is due to the increasing knowledge of the SI joints intimate role in pelvic stability. I hope more physicians consider SI joint pain in their differential after reading this article.

Pathophysiology

SI joint dysfunction due to inflammation within the joint itself is called sacroilitis. Pain from within the SI joint is common in rheumatoid patients and spondyloarthropathies.

The other cause of SI joint dysfunction can result from instability of the SI joint following a work injury. Many experts feel that SI joint pain is a component of a larger problem of pelvic instability. Pelvic instability has traditionally been underappreciated as a cause of low back pain, buttock pain, groin pain, and leg pain. Physical therapists and doctors of osteopathic medicine have been teaching these concepts for years but only relatively recently has this dissemination of knowledge trended towards mainstream thinking among medical doctors.

The SI joint complex (the SI joint and its associated ligaments) is the major support structure of the pelvic ring and is the strongest ligament complex in the body. The complex consists of interosseous sacroiliac ligaments, iliolumbar ligaments, posterior sacroiliac ligaments, and the sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments. The SI joints are two of the three joints involved in the stability of the pelvic ring. The pelvic ring is the meeting place of the force vectors from the upper body and the lower extremities. The third joint in the pelvic ring is the pubis symphysis. Pelvic instability causes pelvic rotation which can also cause twisting of the pubis symphysis. Coupling this with its anterior location appears to provide an explanation as to why patients with SI joint instability can also experience anterior groin pain. Anecdotal evidence for this is seen when patients undergo a successful SI joint intra-articular injection relieving all of their posterior back, buttock, and leg symptoms but the patient still has groin pain. Groin pain is almost never eliminated by SI joint injections unless pelvic symmetry is corrected.

If the SI joints are unstable, it can lead to significant pain and discomfort over the SI joints as well as numerous referred areas. If an individual affected by SI joint pain has pain only over his or her SI joint, he/she should be considered lucky. Most often SI joint instability causes unnatural strain on the entire low back and pelvic region causing a sometimes confusing clinical picture. Pain referral patterns of SI joint pain are often confused with L5 or S1 radiculitis or radiculopathies.

If you suffered a work injury let Atkinson Law Office P.A. & Minnesota Disability help you obtain the answers you need TODAY! We have worked with physicians and specialists throughout Minnesota to help injured workers find the answers to their injuries for nearly two decades. Contact attorney Thomas Atkinson directly at 651-324-9514 or email at tom@mndisability.com You may find additional information at our website www.mndisability.com