Red flags in Michigan workmans comp

1. A letter requiring you to see an Independent Medical Evaluator.
2. A letter requiring you to see a vocational expert.
3. A change in the way you receive your weekly comp checks.
4. You are assigned a nurse case manager.
5. Your insurance adjuster's attitude changes.

Here's the video transcript:


1. The first one is a letter from the insurance carrier or the employer, scheduling you to see an IME, or an Independent Medical Evaluator. These are doctors that are hired by the insurance carrier, or the employer. And it's their job to find a way to cut off your benefits or reduce them. Truthfully, these doctors are paid vast sums of money to find nothing wrong with people.

2. The second red flag that you should be aware of is when you receive a letter from the insurance carrier or the employer, to see a vocational expert. The main purpose of this vocational expert is to find you partially disabled. If they find you partially disabled, which means there are jobs out there that you could do, even though those jobs may not actually be available to you, and even though you are not on those jobs, you would be considered partially disabled, and as a result, your benefits could be reduced.

3. The third red flag is a change in the way you receive your weekly comp checks. You will receive your check on the same day every week or every other week. And then all of a sudden, your checks are late and you have to start calling. And they tell you, "oh, we sent it out," or "there's a problem with our computer." This is usually a sign that something may be going on. You should be concerned about that as well.

4. The fourth red flag is when you're assigned a nurse case manager. The law states that the nurse case manager is hired by the insurance carrier or employer to help you to get better. But very often, they are more interested in helping the workers comp carrier than you.

5. The next red flag is a change in the attitude of the (insurance) adjuster. Usually when you have a claim in the beginning, the adjuster will be friendly and cooperative. But at some point you may notice a change in their behavior. They may not be returning your phone calls, ignoring your e-mails. They may not be as nice as they were. They may even be insulting. If you notice this change in the attitude of the adjuster, then this is something you should be concerned about.

If you recognize any of these (red flags), please call a lawyer who will help make sure that you are not taken advantage of and that your benefits are protected to ensure that you get everything you are entitled to.

------

If you've been injured on the job and you experience any of these red flags, it's best to call a Michigan workmans comp lawyer.

The lawyers at Alex Berman, PC, have been protecting injured workers for more than 35 years. Call us at (855) 221-COMP. There is no fee or obligation, and we can answer all of your legal questions.