Our annual list of grievances in the spirit of the U.S. Declaration of Independence and how workers’ compensation is not fair.
We will be closed on July 4 and July 5 for a long holiday weekend. It gives our staff a chance to rest and get ready for the battles ahead. Workers’ compensation is not a fair system and we fight tirelessly to make sure our clients get the very best outcomes.
Many of our clients suffer when their workers’ compensation benefits are disputed. They struggle to get medical care and support their families. Holidays are especially hard when they are unable to pay rent or put food on the table.
There is a lot that must be fixed with workers’ compensation. It seems like fairness has been removed from the system. Here is our annual list of grievances in the spirit of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
- Insurance companies use biased medical opinions from so called independent medical examiners to stop payment of workers’ compensation benefits. These doctors make careers out of testifying against disabled employees and make huge sums of money.
- Insurance companies use “phantom wages” from jobs that are not truly available to reduce weekly checks. The labor market survey is just a snap shot and does not reflect economic realities. Most people live paycheck-to-paycheck and cannot survive on less pay.
- Insurance companies cannot be held accountable for bad faith claims handling. The burden of proof is far too extreme. Getting stuck with no money can be devastating for someone who is waiting for a claim to be approved. Delayed medical care is simply unacceptable. Penalties are too small to discourage this bad behavior.
- Insurance companies are not required under Michigan law to inform claimants about their workers’ compensation rights. As a result, weekly checks are based upon estimates instead of employer wage records. Choice if doctor after 28 days is not respected. Claimants are not told about attendant care and vocational rehabilitation benefits. Mileage to and from medical appointments goes unpaid.
- Insurance companies can stop payment of workers’ compensation benefits at their own discretion. It can take months or years of litigation to prove entitlement and receive additional payments. Government programs like Medicaid and Medicare must pick up the slack. Cost shifting raising group health insurance premiums and taxes for everyone.
- Large corporations use propaganda and political influence to reduce the amount of workers’ compensation that must paid. It does not matter that employees gave up their right to file a civil lawsuit in exchange for these already limited benefits. Nobody gets rich on workers’ compensation and most people just want to work.
- The pure premium rate has declined 39% since 2011 saving an estimated $390 million for Michigan employers. This huge reduction has come at the expense of disabled employees. Savings should be passed on to workers through higher pay.
Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers never charges a fee to evaluate a potential case. Our law firm has represented injured and disabled workers exclusively for more than 35 years. Call (844) 201-9497 for a free consultation today.
Related information:
Injured On The Job: A Guide to Michigan Workers’ Compensation Law
