March 11, 2008

• When Should You Expect Your Lawyer to Predict a Settlement Value for Your Case ?

  When speaking to prospective clients, I often get the questions "what is my case worth?" and "when will my case settle?   I cannot think of any situation where I would be able to answer this question truthfully before I would have an opportunity to dig into the file and read all of the medical records.  I think that any lawyer who throws numbers and dates at you is not being straight with you because there are so many factors that influence the timing and settlement value of your case. (…)

December 11, 2007

• What are the AMA Guidelines and Why Are They Important to My Case?

  I am often asked how I know when a case is ready to settle.  There are many factors that go into this judgment call, one of the most important being the disability rating assigned to my client. (…)

January 9, 2007

• What Are the Factors Used in Evaluating a Catastrophic Injury Case for Settlement?

  I have been classified Catostrophic by GBWC and am totally disabled. Everyone concerned has no objections. My insurance Co. has said that they may want to settle. (…)

December 20, 2006

• What is Two Year Old Case Worth in Settlement if I Have Returned to Work?

  I was injured in a car accident in Dec. 2004 while on the job. Workers comp accepted responsibility and paid my medical and PT expenses. (…)

October 26, 2006

• Medicare Set Aside Explained

  North Carolina trial lawyer Chris Nichols has written a very useful description of how the Medicare Set Aside rules work in workers' compensation cases.   He also notes that federal law also permits Medicare to pursue Set Asides in liability cases (although Medicare has not yet done this). (…)

August 20, 2006

• No Liability Stipulations Often a Judgment Call

  I am frequently called upon by my clients to explain the difference between settling their workers' comp cases and agreeing to a "no-liability" stipulation. (…)