Archive for the ‘Workers Comp’ Category

Victims of Tennessee Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, or tractor trailer accidents can do themselves a favor, especially if they need a knee or hip replacement… Pick a hospital that specializes in doing hip and knee replacements.

A recent study done by the University of Iowa found that hospitals with a higher degree of orthopedic specialization had better outcomes for patients who had hip and knee replacements.

In hospitals with more orthopedic procedures, there were fewer complications and more importantly, the mortality rate was much lower. In fact, the rate of death during the first 90 days after surgery was twice as high in the hospitals that had lower rates of orthopedic procedures.

If you or anyone you know has been killed or suffered a knee or hip injury in a Nashville motorcycle accident, car accident, or tractor trailer accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here. No matter what you do, before you settle your case with an insurance adjuster, read our materials on dealing with insurance adjusters first!

One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved. Contact us before you settle your case with an insurance adjuster!

When someone is in car wreck in Tennessee or elsewhere, they may have stitches for the very first time in their life. For major wounds, doctors sometime choose to use staples – and they have had good reason to do so – until now.

Victims of Tennessee car accidents or Tennessee Motorcycle accidents may have wounds that need to be surgically closed. If the choice is between stitches and staples, what should you tell your doctor?

Recent research published in the British Medical Journal found that patients with staples instead of stitches were three to four times more likely to develop a wound infection. The research was looking at patients with orthopedic surgery (knees and hips), but it is worth asking your doctor about – especially if you have a Tennessee car accident and are having surgery for the first time.

So, the old school way may be the best.

If you or anyone you know has been injured or killed in a Nashville car accident, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Nashville personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.

One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved.

Victims of Tennessee auto accidents, work injuries, motorcycle wrecks, and other trauma can experience shoulder injuries, including rotator cuff tears.

Rotator cuff tears can be surgically repaired arthroscopically, a much less invasive alternative than the typical “open” procedure. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine arthroscopic surgery can reduce pain and improve function, but unexplainedly the procedure seems to have poorer results among women.

If you or anyone you know has been killed or suffered a personal injury or knee injury in Nashville  Tennessee, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Nashville Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here. No matter what you do, before you settle your case with an insurance adjuster, read our materials on dealing with insurance adjusters first!

One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved. Contact us before you settle your case with an insurance adjuster!

A knee injury in Tennessee typically will occur either on the job, or in a motorcycle or car accident. I’ve had a knee injury and can appreciate how disabling it can be before and after surgery.

I was lucky and had a great recovery, but I have seen lots of cases where my clients weren’t as lucky as I was and had permanent restrictions and limitations that affected their ability to work and function normally. A number of our Tennessee personal injury clients have had knee replacement surgery that has allowed them much more normal (but not normal) mobility.

One of the limitations of knee replacements is that some activities, like climbing stairs, can still be very difficult (also difficult for some Tennessee motorcycle clients- riding a motorcycle). Their are two basic designs for artificial knees, the “fixed bearing” design and the “rotating platform” design.

A recent FDA study seems to show that the “rotating platform” design may provide an artificial knee that is better at things like climbing stairs. Ask your doctor about your choices if you have a Tennessee personal injury that involves the knee and the possibility of knee replacement.

If you or anyone you know has been killed or suffered a personal injury in Tennessee, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Nashville personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here. No matter what you do, before you settle your case with an insurance adjuster, read our materials on dealing with insurance adjusters first!

One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved. Contact us before you settle your case with an insurance adjuster!

Car accident victims and people injured on the job sometime have the misfortune to experience a shoulder injury often to the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is in the shoulder, and rotator cuff injuries often begin with minor symptoms that get worse over time. If you have a “weak” shoulder, a rotator cuff injury may be the explanation. Although we all want to put off surgery until it is absolutely necessary, putting off rotator cuff surgery may not be the best idea. In fact, repair of smaller tears yields better long term results that waiting for a big tear (click here.) So if you have been involved in a car accident or have a work injury to your shoulder, ask your surgeon whether you might benefit from surgery now rather than waiting.

If you or anyone you know has been killed or suffered a personal injury or Workers comp injury in Tennessee, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.

One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved.

GM employees, and other workers who have lost their jobs may have a right to reopen their Tennessee workers compensation cases and obtain more benefits.  If  injured before July 1, 2004 and you lose your  job within 400 weeks of the day that you returned to work, you may apply to enlarge your workers’ compensation award to a maximum of 6 times your impairment rating.  The additional amount that you may be entitled to is dictated by your vocational disability, age, education, job skills, etc.  For those injured after July 1, 2004, different rules may apply.  If you have resigned, the Court may increase your award only if your resignation was reasonably related to the injury. 
Employees of GM may be entitled to a reconsideration of their claim because of the way that GM has been restructured since filing bankruptcy. GM employees with former work comp claims should contact  our office immediately to determine if you have a right to reconsideration.  Failure to do so could prejudice your rights.
If you are fired for misconduct or you retire, you are generally not eligible for reconsideration.   
It is important to note that a petition for reconsideration must be made within one year of the date that you lose your job or you will be barred from pursing a claim for reconsideration.

If you have lost your job after receiving a prior work comp settlement, call us to speak to a Tennessee Workers Compensation Attorney to determine if you are entitled to any additional benefits.

If you or anyone you know has been killed or suffered a personal injury in Tennessee, please contact Nashville injury attorney Phillip Miller and the Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Phillip Miller and Associates at (615) 356-2000, or contact our office online here.

One last thing: If you are hurt and have any questions at all, contact our office at (615) 356-2000. Don’t delay. Cases involving personal injury or death in Tennessee must be acted on quickly. Time is running. Call for an appointment, if it’s bad enough that you need to read this far into a website blog, it’s bad enough to get an attorney involved.

Auto accidents, especially when speed is involved, can cause serious orthopedic injuries and fractures. Comminuted fractures are serious injuries to a bone where the bone is crushed,  splintered, or broken into three or more pieces. Comminuted fractures can be complicated to repair, and can be very painful. The site around the fracture will frequently be swollen and weight bearing will be painful or impossible. . Repair of a comminuted surgery may require a combination of pins, plates,  and screws. When our clients have experienced a comminuted fracture, we contact their physician early and closely track their recovery and rehabilitation. We have represented dozens of people with these kinds of injuries and know that early action is critical in order to make a fair settlement.

Much is made about “safety fines” and government regulations that  might somehow affect business in a negative way. The fact is that most regulations have been developed in close coordination with the business community, and enforcement is weak or non-existent. Work place safety?  It is better than it was 50 years ago, but it’s not because the government has taken seriously its’ obligation to fine companies with safety violations. Some workers comp injuries continue to occur because of weak or non-existent enforcement of safety rules.  Here’s a real world example.  A deputy sheriff is on temporary assignment at a fire station, and is sleeping there overnight. The fire station has two doors about 15′ apart. One goes to the bathroom, the other to a shaft where the fire pole is located. There is no light or markings for either. At 3 a.m. the 43 year old deputy sheriff gets up to go to the bathroom and steps through the door in front of the shaft for the firepole, falling 18 feet. He breaks legs, ribs, and his pelvis. He is unable to ever return to work. Regulations about marking doorways into shafts have been around for decades.  The fine?  $800.00.  Can anyone realistically believe that an $800 fine will bring about change? The importance of lawsuits for personal injury often transcends compensating the injured and their families, it brings positive change and make this a safer world.