Tort Lawyers Fight for Justice
Last week, John Stossel ran an Op Ed in the Boston Herald (and other newspapers throughout the country) titled, But It’s Injustice For Almost All. The Op Ed was nothing more than a baseless attack on trial lawyers and personal injury lawyers.
Stossel begins his Op Ed by charging that tort lawyers lie. He then goes on to rant and rave against the evils of tort lawyers and personal injury lawyers without, of course, any facts to back up his baseless, slash and burn diatribe.
When it comes to personal injury lawsuits, it appears that Stossel’s message is more, “Do as I say not as I do.”
As reported by the Huffington Post (John StosselIs A Pathological Liar - 5/30/2006), Stossel “sued a wrestler $200,000 for slapping him during an interview.” What a hypocrite!
As a proud tort lawyer, I work hard to fight for justice for ordinary working people who are hurt at work or seriously injured due to another person’s negligence.
Tort lawyers’ work on behalf of consumers has secured, among other things: seatbelts, safe and reliable airbags, safe and reliable infant car seats, safe and reliable anti-lock car brakes and automobile stability control systems. Their work helped ban toxic lead paint cancer causing asbestos.
The shrill ranting of the John Stossels of the world remind me of the now infamous Texas Congressman who, when questioning the head of BP during a recent Congressional hearing, actually apologized for the government’s efforts to hold BP accountable to compensate Gulf residents and businesses for losses caused by BP’s recklessness.
I’ll let John Stossel and his crowd stand shoulder to shoulder with BP and big moneyed special interests.
As a proud tort lawyer and personal injury lawyer, I’m on the side of the little guy and gal who, without tort lawyers, would be shut out and have no chance for justice.
Source: Boston Herald and Huffington Post.
Copyright © 2010 John J. Sheehan
After a disabling work accident, it is not uncommon that the employer tells the employee that there is no work until the employee has a full work release from his/her treating doctor.
What do you do? Not knowing that they may be entitled to workers’ comp, some injured workers instinctively sign up for unemployment even though they are injured and, sometimes, may require surgery. That’s a mistake if the worker is not physically able to work due to a work injury.
By filing a claim for unemployment, the injured worker represents that he/she is able to engage in gainful employment which often is contrary to the facts. Many injured workers hide their injury in order to get unemployment out of fear and desperation.
If the worker is injured and disabled from work pursuant to a treating doctor or medical provider, it is a mistake to file a claim for unemployment. The injured worker should file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. The problem is that the injured worker may not know the identity of the workers’ compensation insurer, especially if the employer never reported the accident. Left to his/her own devices, the injured worker is frequently stuck and helpless to pursue his/her legal rights.
Yet another reason why you need to contact a workers’ comp lawyer as soon as possible after a disabling work accident.
Copyright © 2009 John J. Sheehan
Why has the workers’ compensation insurer assigned a nurse case manager to stay in close contact with you? Why does the nurse keep calling you? Why does the nurse want to accompany you to your doctor’s visits and try to be present during your exam?
Don’t be fooled and think that the nurse is part of your team of medical providers. The nurse case manager works for the workers’ compensation insurer. Her main interest and goal, in my experience, is to save the insurance company money by ending your treatment and returning you to work as soon as possible even if you are not physically able to perform your job duties.
Most people don’t know that they can refuse nurse case management services. Most injured workers fear that the workers’ compensation insurer will stop their weekly benefit check if they rock the boat. Little do they know that the insurer will try to stop weekly benefits at the first opportunity even if the injured worker’s doctor has not issued a release to return to work.
Don’t play Russian Roulette with your workers’ compensation benefits. Contact a workers’ comp lawyer as soon as possible after you suffer a disabling work injury.
Copyright © 2009 John J. Sheehan
