workers compensation lawyer Atlanta

Georgia Workers Compensation Lawyers, Atlanta, Columbus, Albany

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Georgia Workers compensation lawyers ready to help you with your on the job injury in Atlanta, Valdosta, Albany, Columbus, Augusta, Savannah, Macon, and all of Georgia. Contact our workers compensation free legal team today

What you need to know about Georgia Workers compensation

In Georgia, the State Board of Workers’ Compensation handles work injury cases and determines benefits. This agency covers all injuries that arise out of and in the course of your employment, from specific injuries like a back sprain to occupational disease injuries such as exposure to hazardous materials.

You do not have to prove that your employer was at fault to make a claim for benefits in Georgia. You do have to show that your injuries arose out of and in the course of your employment. In other words, if you got hurt while doing something work related and during work hours, you are typically covered. You are not covered if your injury was the result of your willful misconduct. For example, if you get into a fight at work and get injured as a result, you are not eligible for benefits. On the other hand, injuries resulting from a mistake are generally covered. In most cases you cannot sue your employer for negligence.

These are the main benefits that you should be eligible for under Georgia workers’ compensation law:

Payment of 100% of your medical bills. As long as you see an authorized physician, there are no out-of-pocket expenses for treatment that is reasonable and related to your job injury.

Temporary total disability. If you are unable to work, you can get 2/3 of your average weekly wage. If your injury is catastrophic, there is no limit on how long you can receive these benefits; if your injury is non-catastrophic, the limit is 400 weeks of benefits.

Temporary partial disability. This type of benefit is available if you can return to work but only perform a job where you make less money. You will receive 2/3 of the difference between your pre-injury wages and your post-injury wages, and you can receive these benefits for up to 350 weeks.

Permanent partial disability. This benefit is determined by a formula that includes several factors such as your percentage of impairment (determined by your doctor), as well as the type of injury you have.

In order to receive medical coverage, you are required to see a doctor chosen by your employer. A list of approved doctors should be posted in the workplace. If you go to a doctor not on the list, it is considered "unauthorized treatment" and the cost will not be covered. There is usually an exception if your injury required emergency treatment.

If you are looking for a workers’ compensation attorney in Georgia, we recommend that you hire a lawyer that focuses their practice almost exclusively on representing injured workers and one that has a history of success. Workers’ compensation lawyers get paid on a contingency basis, meaning they only get paid if your case is successful. If you don’t receive any benefits as a result, you pay nothing.

Attorney’s fees in Georgia work injury claims are limited to 25% of whatever your lawyer recovers for you (up to 400 weeks of benefits). If you recover $40,000, the attorney fee would be $10,000. However, if you get nothing, you would owe them nothing. Since attorney fees in Georgia workers’ compensation cases are fairly uniform, it won’t cost you more to go with the best lawyer you can find.

In Georgia, the law requires you to give your employer notice of your injury within 30 days of the accident. You should do this in writing as soon as possible so that there is no dispute as to when notice was given. If you fail to provide proper notice your case can be dismissed.

If you are having trouble getting benefits, or have any other dispute with the insurance company, it’s important to file a claim right away. There is a time limit on claims – one year from the date of the injury – or your case will be forever barred. The claim should be filed with the State Board of Workers’ Compensation.

Finally, please know that in Georgia a workers’ compensation claim is not a lawsuit, but rather a claim for benefits similar to filing for health insurance or long term disability. In almost every instance your law firm deals directly with the insurance company for your employer, not the employer themselves. Unlike health insurance coverage disputes, quick action can make a disputed job injury case more successful.

A good Georgia on the job injury attorney can guide you through the workers comp benefits process and be there in case you have questions or anything goes wrong. They can also prevent problems – such as unpaid benefits or denial of medical treatment. Contact our workers compensation free legal shield team today

Workers Compensation History and Benefits

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Workmen’s Compensation

BIBLIOGRAPHY GENERAL WORKS

SERIAL PUBLICATIONS

Workmen’s compensation legislation, intended to assure some recompense for occupational injuries sustained by workers, is the most prevalent form of social insurance—universal in advanced countries and widespread even among developing nations. It is generally among the first social welfare measures to be adopted. Its early acceptance has been facilitated by the fact that it usually does not create a wholly new benefit for workers but replaces existing common law or statutory rights to indemnity for injuries attributable to the employer. It is also generally associated with incentives for prevention of accidents. Moreover, individual and social costs of failure to meet the losses sustained in work injuries and fatalities are especially conspicuous. The necessity for dealing with the problem appears to appeal to a common sense of justice.

European origins . Germany provided the pioneering workmen’s compensation act in 1884, following rapidly upon enactment of its compulsory sickness insurance act a year earlier, although specific laws providing compensation for particular groups of workers date back to the eighteenth century. British legislation followed in 1897, but it departed widely from the German design. The different patterns adopted by these countries became the two central influences upon compensation legislation in the Western world. In retrospect, most authorities now agree that it has proved unfortunate that the British pattern was the one largely followed in the United States, mainly because it was better known there.

Before the adoption of workmen’s compensation legislation, an occupationally injured worker could secure redress only by suing his employer. Everywhere this was slow, costly, and usually ineffective. The legal defenses available to an employer, against whom fault had to be proved, were numerous and formidable, and awards for workers were few and meager. Both Germany, in 1871, and England, in 1880, had first experimented with employer’s liability laws, which were designed to remove or abate some of the more unfair defenses. In both countries such measures were soon found unsatisfactory.

The basic differences between the German and British approaches to compensation, in capsule form, were as follows.

(1) The German required compulsory insurance by the employer with nonprofit public entities which were obliged to ensure that workers received the benefits due them. The entire system was under the administrative supervision of the Federal Insurance Office, and disputes were adjudicated through special courts. In England, employers were declared legally liable for industrial injuries, but insurance was not mandatory. In practice, most large employers did insure with private carriers. Claims for compensation were settled by negotiation between the worker and the employer or insurance carrier. Disputes were carried through the conventional court system. The British regarded the law as self-administering and provided no official administrative agency for supervision of the system. In Germany, protection of the worker’s rights had become a state obligation; in Britain, it was still basically a private matter.

(2) Litigation was minimized in Germany and was never a cost to the worker. It continued to be a prominent feature of British experience, although the worker’s chances had been improved.

(3) In addition to the cash compensation for wage loss, the German law originally also provided medical care benefits (connected with sickness insurance funds), and by 1925 it had added rehabilitation benefits as one part of an increasing emphasis on restoring the injured worker to employability. The British made no specific provision for medical care or rehabilitation.

(4) The German system provided lifetime payments for permanent disability and for widows and children in death cases. Lump-sum settlements were permitted only for minor disabilities. The British law encouraged lump-sum settlements in cases of permanent disability, and they were mandatory in fatalities.

These undesirable features of the British tradition, which was abandoned in Great Britain shortly after World War II in favor of a basically new approach, are still prominent in American legislation and practice.

Development in the United States . Workmen’s compensation came late in the United States, although almost three decades before any other form of social insurance. The frightful human toll of maimings and fatalities around the turn of the twentieth century, years during which industrial accidents were reaching record-breaking heights, aroused the national conscience. Industrial safety, hygiene, and compensation represented three parallel reform movements. In the United States, employer’s liability legislation also preceded workmen’s compensation. By 1910 practically every state had passed some sort of employer’s liability statute. But here, too, these soon proved inadequate, merely mitigating the harshness and cumbersomeness of the common law. The essential basis of employer’s responsibility remained tort liability.

The first state acts to be based on the compensation principle of “liability without fault” —establishing employer liability for assured but limited compensation, irrespective of fault, in return for the worker’s forsaking common law rights to unlimited damage suits—were enacted by Maryland in 1902, Montana in 1909, and New York in 1910. All these were held unconstitutional. But by this time public opinion was highly aroused. Under the leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt, an act covering some categories of federal employees was passed in 1908. In 32 states, 40 official commissions investigated and strongly condemned the existing legal situation and with virtual unanimity recommended adoption of laws based on “liability without fault.”

Despite the adverse constitutional decisions, 30 compensation laws were enacted between 1910 and 1915. But the negative constitutional rulings, particularly in regard to the New York act by the Court of Appeals in 1911, had marked effects. Although seven states amended their constitutions to make certain that compensation would be legal, most laws were narrowed and restricted because of the decisions. In 1917 the issue of constitutionality was permanently settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, which declared the state police power an adequate basis for all proposed types of compensation laws. But the earlier rulings left an enduring and heavy heritage of “elective” provisions and limited coverage of industries, occupations, and injuries, which curtailed the effectiveness of the laws.

By 1920 all but six states had enacted legislation; action by Mississippi in 1948 completed the roster. Today every state operates some kind of workmen’s compensation program. In addition, there are three federal jurisdictions: the District of Columbia, federal government employees, and longshoremen and harbor workers. Most states require subject employers to carry insurance with private companies or to give proof of ability to self-insure. Eighteen states have state funds, eleven of which are “competitive” with private carriers; seven are “exclusive,” although in two of these self-insurance is also permitted.

Since about 63 per cent of the business is carried by private companies and 12 per cent is handied by self-insurance, and since the states assume widely varying degrees of supervision or involvement in the system, data on workmen’s compensation experience have always been inadequate. For example, about a score of states do not have such basic data as the amount of benefits paid, by type of insurer or by type of benefit, and about 35 states have no information on number of covered workers or amount of covered payrolls. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration, which has no operational responsibilities in this field, has carefully developed techniques for obtaining reliable estimates of essential data.

Coverage. Despite wide coverage, workmen’s compensation has never really supplanted the common law and employer’s liability legislation, especially the latter, as remedies for occupational injury. About one-fifth of United States workers are still not covered, a proportion that has remained stable over the past decade. Prominent among the omissions are interstate railway workers and merchant seamen, who feel that their experience under special federal employer’s liability legislation compares favorably with that of workers under state compensation systems. Noncoverage at the state level is attributable to elective laws and exclusion of certain types of employment (e.g., small firms, agricultural work, domestic employment). State laws vary widely in these, as in other, respects. In 13, the ratio of actual to potential coverage is less than 65 per cent. In addition, some types of injuries, particularly occupational diseases (as distinguished from “accidents"), are excluded. Only two states still fail to cover any occupational diseases, but 20 more do not cover all of them. Since World War II, protection has been greatly broadened through liberal judicial interpretation of causal relationship of injury to employment and the meaning of such terms as “accidental injury.”

Benefits. There are three categories of compensation benefits—cash, medical, and rehabilitation— intended to indemnify the injured worker or surviving dependents for loss of wages and/or occupational capacity and for medical and hospital expenses and, where possible, to restore working capacity. Since the end of World War II, cash compensation has fairly constantly represented about two-thirds of total payments, while medical care and related costs have consumed about one-third.

Cash benefits vary in accordance with four classes of injuries: temporary total disability, permanent partial disability, permanent total disability, and death. One of the basic concepts of the American systems was that benefits should be proportionally related to wage loss, as distinguished from uniform benefit amounts paid in Britain. Most of the statutes express the intent to replace about two-thirds of the weekly wage during total disability. However, there are many qualifications in the formulas, including a weekly dollar maximum, a maximum total dollar amount, a maximum amount of time for which benefits may be paid, and a waiting period. In practice, adjustments in these statutory limitations have lagged far behind changes in wage scales, with the following conspicuous results: (1) the weekly maximum has become the effective rate for so large a proportion of beneficiaries as to approximate a flat-sum system;

(2) benefit levels have fallen far below the intended objective for the majority of workers; and

(3) the effective rate of compensation, as a percentage of lost earnings, is considerably lower today than it was in the early periods of the programs.

Recent estimates indicate that, on the average, cash benefits do not replace more than one-third of wage loss. The proportion is highest for temporary disability cases, considerably lower for permanent disability, and lowest for death cases, where the ratio probably does not exceed 15 per cent. This does not take into account the worker’s outlay for medical expenses in states which still limit such benefits, or the legal fees he may have to pay in contested cases. Despite the original intent of workmen’s compensation, much the largest share of the cost of industrial injury falls on the worker and his family or on public assistance or private charity.

Medical benefits are in some degree now included in all the laws and represent the most significant quantitative advance in the programs since the beginning. In part, this progress derives from recognition that effective medical care constitutes a long-term economy, for it reduces the period or intensity of disability. Nonetheless, about half the states still retain some limitations on the time, the amount of expenses, or the types of injury covered.

Qualitatively, medical care progress has been less impressive. Inadequate medical administration and failure to orient medical care toward rehabilitation have been subject to growing criticism from all quarters. In less than half the states does the workmen’s compensation agency have any authority to supervise medical care, despite the uniform testimony to this necessity from such sources as the American Medical Association and the American College of Surgeons.

In recent years, with the rapid advance of rehabilitation techniques, the theoretical focus of workmen’s compensation has been sharply shifted from concentration upon indemnity to maximum restoration of the worker to his previous condition. Despite almost universal verbal dedication of experts and administrators to the principle that rehabilitation should now be the primary goal of the compensation process, because of both its distinct economies and its humanitarianism, the programs have not responded to the new needs. Only half the workmen’s compensation jurisdictions have any specific provisions in their acts to encourage rehabilitation, and these vary widely in their adequacy. Most workmen’s compensation recipients who need such services do not receive them. For those who do, the delay between injury and acceptance for rehabilitation is so long as to threaten the success of the undertaking. Lack of supervision of the kind and quality of medical care has been a major obstacle.

Many authorities have alleged that the basically litigious and indemnity-oriented character of workmen’s compensation generates disincentives to acceptance of rehabilitation procedures. This has led to recommendations that in permanent disability cases compensation be based upon degree of physical impairment rather than on loss of earning capacity. The widespread practice of commutation of periodic benefit rights into lump-sum settlements, which removes the worker from the purview of the workmen’s compensation system (and frequently otherwise defeats the program’s purpose), has also retarded rehabilitation.

The significance of the issue is enlarged by the fact that steady growth of other social insurance and welfare measures, which often overlap with workmen’s compensation, is steadily relegating the latter to a supplementary place in financial protection. The distinctive role of workmen’s compensation is increasingly in its rehabilitation potential. Little wonder that the challenge of rehabilitation is widely regarded as both the crucial opportunity and the Achilles’ heel of workmen’s compensation. Canadian programs, particularly in Ontario, have amply demonstrated that rehabilitation can successfully be made the core of an effective workmen’s compensation system. Although the Canadian practices are widely spoken of in the United States with unstinted admiration, they have nowhere been imitated there.

Costs. The aggregate annual cost of the system to employers has consistently been less than 1 per cent of payroll in covered employment since the end of World War II, moving between 0.90 per cent and 0.99 per cent in all the years from 1946 to 1962. Before the war, costs were as high as 1.2 per cent. National averages conceal great variations among states, industries, and individual employers, rising from negligible proportions to 30 per cent or more of payroll in extra-hazardous industries in some states. The major issue in respect to cost has been the high proportion which fails to find its way into benefits. Overhead expenses of insurance— the major factor—and administration consume about 40 per cent of total costs, far more than in any other form of social insurance.

Major issues in the United States . After more than a half century of experience, workmen’s compensation in the United States is under severe and fundamental challenge as to whether it can meet its stated objectives and, more profoundly, whether the original objectives are adequate for contemporary conditions. The programs have not exhibited adaptability and dynamism commensurate with the altered environment. In part this is related to declining interest. Both absolute and relative rates of injury are decreasing; the injury severity rate (measured by lost workdays) has declined steadily; and the death rate was cut in half in the period 1938-1958. To some degree the preventive incentives of workmen’s compensation may be credited with contributing to advances in industrial safety.

The human toll is still distressingly large—about fifteen thousand killed annually, some eighty thousand disabled for life, and about two million temporarily disabled each year. The problem remains grim for those directly affected, but they represent a declining proportion of the population. Moreover, increasingly, the injured and the survivors of those fatally injured have other recourse, particularly in the federal Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, as well as the far less general provisions of private employee-benefit programs.

Despite the growth of overlapping jurisdictions among public programs and the increasing complexity of distinguishing between occupational and nonoccupational disability, most American authorities agree with the conclusion of England’s Beveridge Report (Great Britain 1942) that continuation of a separate program for the occupationally disabled worker is desirable. But just as England also accepted, in 1946, the necessity of the Bev-eridge Report’s corollary recommendation for a fundamental overhauling of the compensation system, United States experts are convinced that the state programs must be revised to do a far more effective job of rehabilitating the injured worker and restoring him to employment. Unless this can be done, the case for a separate system crumbles.

At the core of this challenge lies not just revised legislation, but a new approach to compensation administration, which in the United States has more nearly resembled arbitration procedure than supervisory responsibility. (Five states have no administrative agency and still rely on “court administration.”) Whether this can be achieved under so many completely independent jurisdictions without any form of central coordination or assistance at the federal level is a sore question. In any case, administrators need tools. Restorative programs will require far broader coverage of injuries; adequate benefit levels, particularly to correct the inequities falling upon the permanently injured and dependent survivors; authority to deal with quality of medical care; minimization of litigation and lump-sum settlements; and more modern methods for rating permanent disability.

Although the desirability of continuing a separate program for occupational injury is accepted, it is generally acknowledged that some form of reconciliation between overlapping social insurance benefits is required. The difficulties of finding a satisfactory formula in the face of the autonomous and widely varying state programs are formidable.

A reformed system need not be more costly. The net costs of effective medical care and rehabilitation are very low; in fact, they often represent net savings. Moreover, improved administration, particularly in reduction of excessive expense ratios in insurance, could bring economies more than sufficient to meet any increased costs of a balanced and comprehensive system of protection. Unfortunately, while the shortcomings of the present system have been a lively subject of discussion for many years, the prospects for effective action do not appear bright.

Herman M. Somers

BIBLIOGRAPHY GENERAL WORKS

Berkowitz, Monroe 1960 Workmen’s Compensation: The New Jersey Experience. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers Univ. Press.

Cheit, Earl F.; and Gordon, Margaret S. (editors) 1963 Occupational Disability and Public Policy. New York: Wiley. → Contains discussion of experiences throughout the world.

Great Britain, Inter-Departmental Committee ON Social Insurance and Allied Services 1942 Social Insurance and Allied Services. Papers by Command, Cmd. 6404. London: H.M. Stationery Office; New York: Macmillan. → Known as the Beveridge Report.

Skolnik, Alfred M. 1962 New Benchmarks in Workmen’s Compensation. Social Security Bulletin 25, no. 6:3-18.

Somers, Herman M.; and Somers, Anne R. 1954 Workmen’s Compensation: Prevention, Insurance, and Rehabilitation of Occupational Disability. New York: Wiley.

U.S. Social Security Administration, Division of Program Research 1967 Social Security Programs Throughout the World, 1967. Washington: Government Printing Office.

SERIAL PUBLICATIONS

Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America Analysis of Workmen’s Compensation Laws. → Published since 1950. Includes the Canadian provinces.

International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions Proceedings. → Published since 1914 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Standards. Provides general information on administration and policy issues.

International Labour Review. → Published since 1921 by the International Labor Office, which has also published numerous special studies.

International Social Security Association Bulletin. → Published since 1948. Reports regularly on new developments in many nations.

Social Security Bulletin. → Published since 1938 by the Social Security Administration. Provides financial and benefit data annually, usually in the January issue.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Standards State Workmen’s Compensation Laws. → Published since 1943.

Workers Compensation Helpline Lawyers , On the Job Injuries

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Workers Compensation Helpline Georgia, Atlanta, Savanah, Florida, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa,New York, New Jersey,Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin, for on the job Injuries

Workers Compensation Helpline New York,Georgia,Florida,Tennessee,North and South Carolina is a Resource for Individuals with On the Job Injuries
(On-the-Job Injury or Illness)
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Workers Compensation in New York. If in Doubt call free legal Shield Workers Compensation Helpline lawyers. The lawyers of the Workers Compensation helpline work on a contingency basis. You have no out of pocket fees to the workers Compensation lawyers

Workers Compensation Office New York Resource Guide offered by Workers Compensation Helpline New York, Georgia, Florida,

Q. Are all disabilities covered under Workers Compensation Law?
A. No. Only those disabilities that are causally related to an accidental injury "arising out of and in the course of the employment" or to occupational disease, are compensable.
Q. What if the worker fails to file a claim for workers compensation?
A. The worker may lose his/her right to benefits and medical care.
Q. Is it necessary for the worker to retain an attorney?
A. No. W.C. Law Judges may assist a worker not represented by an attorney. An attorney s assistance may be desirable if the issues are complicated. Attorney s fees are deducted from the claimant s award, as determined by a Workers Compensation Law Judge. A claimant must not pay an attorney directly.
Q. How is the weekly cash benefit for temporary total disability determined?
A. The weekly cash benefit for temporary total disability is computed by taking two-thirds of the workers average weekly wage for one year immediately preceding the accident. It may not, however, exceed the legal maximum in effect on the date of the injury.
Q. Is medical care provided in the case of an accidental injury even when no claim is made for weekly cash benefits?
A. Yes. If medical care is necessary, it will be provided even though there has been no lost time from work (or less than eight days lost time) and no cash benefits paid.
Q. When must a physician request advance authorization for medical care?
A. The law requires a physician to request prior authorization for specialist consultations, surgical procedures, physiotherapeutic procedures, X-rays or special diagnostic laboratory tests costing more than $500 until July 10, 2007. As of July 11, 2007, the special services must cost more than $1,000 before authorization must be requested. However, as of March 13, 2007, insurance carriers are authorized to require claimants to obtain X-rays, CT Scans, MRIs and other diagnostic tests from a provider or facility within the network it has contracted with for such tests. If the insurance carrier has notified the claimant of this requirement, then the claimant must obtain diagnostic tests from a network facility or provider unless it is an emergency or there is no location within a reasonable distance from the claimant.
Q. Are prescription drugs and medications covered under the law?
A. Yes. The claimant should send a receipted bill and letter from the attending physician to the insurance carrier, stating that the purchase was necessary and in accordance with the physician s direction. As of July 11, 2007, the law specifically authorizes pharmacies to direct bill the insurance carrier and requires the insurance carrier to pay for the prescription or reimburse the employee within 45 days of receipt of the claim for payment or reimbursement. It also allows the insurance carrier to contract with a pharmacy or pharmacies and require claimants to use the pharmacy or pharmacies to obtain their prescriptions. The only exceptions are when a medical emergency occurs and it is not reasonably possible to obtain immediately required prescribed medicines from such pharmacy or pharmacies or the pharmacy or pharmacies do not offer mail order service and do not have a physical location within a reasonable distance from the claimant.
Q. May a doctor proceed with care if the insurance carrier withholds authorization without reason?
A. Yes. When the authorization has been requested and withheld without reason for more than 30 days, the doctor may proceed to render the services required for the claimant s welfare. If the authorization is for a diagnostic test and the carrier has contracted with a network and requires claimants to use the network, the diagnostic test must be obtained from a provider or facility within the network.
Q. Must an injured worker submit to a medical examination when requested to do so by the employer or insurance carrier?
A. Yes. The employer or insurance carrier is entitled to have the worker examined by a qualified physician. Refusal to submit to an exam may affect the worker s claim.
Q. What happens when a claim is contested by the insurance carrier?
A. The insurance carrier contesting a claim must file a notice of controversy with the Board within eighteen days after the disability begins or within ten days of learning of the accident, whichever is greater. The carrier must give the reasons why the claim is not being paid. The issue is resolved by a W.C. Law Judge at a prehearing conference or a hearing.
Q. May an insurance carrier suspend or modify the cash benefits?
A. In a case where the carrier has made payment without waiting for a Judge s decision, it may suspend or modify the payment based on payroll or medical evidence submitted to the Board.
Q. What can a worker do if he/she is not satisfied with the Judge s decision?
A. The worker may file with the Board a written application for review within thirty days of the filing of the notice of the Judge s decision. The application must specify why the claimant disagrees with the decision.
Q. What can a worker do if he/she is not satisfied with the Board s decision after an application for review?
A. The worker may appeal to the Appellate Division, Third Department, within thirty days after the decision has been served upon the parties.
Q. What is the penalty for making a false claim?
A. A person who willfully misrepresents the circumstances surrounding his or her case in order to obtain benefits is guilty of a felony.
Q. What do I need to do if my spouse/parent/child/grandchild(ren) s has passed away while collecting workers comp benefits?
A. Notify the Board and Insurance Carrier¹ immediately and submit (when available) a copy of the Death Certificate.
Q. As a widow/widower, will his/her compensation benefits continue coming to me once they passed?
A. In most cases benefits may stop. The widow/widower must file for a Workers Compensation Death claim showing medical proof that the claimants death was related to the establised work injury. If the death claim is found compensable, payments may resume retroactive back to the date of death.
Q. What do I need to do if my spouse/parent/child/grandchild(ren) s death was becasue of his/her work injury?
A. File for a Workers Compensation Death claim by completeing and filing a C-62 with the appropriate documentation. You will also need to file the C-64 and, If you have it, file medical evidence from the last treating physician stating how the death is causally related to the original work injury/illness.
Q. What if my Child was killed at work and has no dependents; are there benefits payable for at least funeral expenses?
A. Parents who were not dependent on the deceased would be eligible for a no-dependency award if there were no spouse, children, or other dependent family members. They would also be eligible for up to the maximum allowed under Workers Compensation for funeral expenses paid.
Q. I have been approached to consider settling my claim, what do I do?
A. Under the Workers Compensation Law, any settlement, whether a stipulation agreement or a Section 32 Waiver Agreeement, is a negotiation between you and the Carrier¹. The main difference is that a Stipulation is always subject to modification, with proof and the Boards consent, whereas a Section 32 can never be changed once approved by the Board (see Workers Compensation law section 32).
Q. What is a stipulation agreement?
A. This is an agreement between the carrier¹ and claimant which is memorialized in writing on a Board-prescribed form, and placed on the record by the Judge. This agreement is usually to agree on a percentage of a schedule loss of use, level of disability, reimbursements to the employer, and/or what your weekly indemnity benefits will be.
For more information on stipulations, see Board rule 12 NYCRR 300.5.
Q. What is a Schedule Loss of Use Award?
A. This is an award that is issued by the Judge that determines the amount of loss of use you have to the injured body part (Usually limbs/digits). This percentage is determined by medical evidence such as treating doctors report and the Independent Medical Examiners report, if any. This award is paid at your total disability rate as applied. This award is set forth in a Board decision, listing amounts as if they were lost wages, whether you have actually lost time or not. However, once an award is paid, if you have not been out of work for that amount of weeks, it is then considered an advance payment and if you go out of work due to this injury later on, you will not be paid for lost wages until the number of weeks is used up. If you have already been out of work for the amount of weeks of the schedule loss, you will not receive any further payments. But if you are out of work down the road, and used up the weeks of the schedule loss, you may be elegible for further monies.
Q. If I had a Schedule Loss of Use Award can I still treat with my doctor?
A. Yes
Q. What can I include in the Section 32 agreement?
A. The Section 32 agreement is a negotiation; therefore you can include what you feel is in your best interest. There are times when medical is left in and just the monetary value is what is finalized. While many cases are based upon aproxmiately (5) years of payments, remember it is a negotiation. Both parties have to be in agreement before it can be presented to the Board.
Q. What if I settled on a Section 32 and my condition gets worse?
A. You will be responsible for anything related to this injury, no one else.
Q. What if I have extreme financial hardship or need surgery down the road due to the injury I settled with a Section 32?
A. You are solely responsible for any bills related to this injury.
Q. Can I sue someone for my injuries since I settled my case?
A. No
Q. What if I have settled my case, but then reinjure myself at work again to the same thing and it is made worse?
A. If this were to happen, you could then file a new claim. If the Judge were to determine that there would be an apportionment between the first injury and the new one, you would only get paid the apportionment amount from the new injury as the first injury case was settled.
Q. Can I file for a Death Claim if my spouse settled his/her case on a section 32 and has since passed away due to the injury/illness?
A. Yes, only if the persons death was related to the actual injury/illness. ( Please see under the Workers section on how to file a Death claim).
Q. What can I do if I disagree with an MOD issued and the Full Board Review is denied?
A. You have thirty days from the denial of the Full Board Review notice in which to file with the Appellate Division, Third Department, of the Supreme Court. This step is outside the Workers Compensation System and there could possibly be a fee for filing the appeal. The Supreme Court does have programs in which to file as a poor person. Again, you would need to contact them.

To help with medical Bills,and your on the job injuries call Workers Compensation helpline New York of free legal Shield

¹ licensed insurance company, third party administrator or self insured employer.

There are three types of offices for Workers Compensation Claims:

There are three types of workers compensation claim offices. They are:

1. The insurance company claims office

2. The third party administrators claims office

3. The in-house claims office of the self insured employer

Workers Compensation offices New York

State of New York—http://www.ny.gov/
New York State Workers’ Compensation Board—http://www.wcb.state.ny.us/
20 Park Street
Albany, New York 12207
(877) 632-4996, Fax: (518) 473-1415, Fraud: (888) 363-6001
E-mail: general_information@wcb.state.ny.us
Click here to download free fillable PDF (Portable Document Format) versions of New York workers’ compensation forms courtesy Interface Technologies—http://www.interfacetec.com/

New York State Insurance Fund—http://ww3.nysif.com/
199 Church Street
New York, New York 10007
(888) 875-5790, (212) 312-9000, Fax: (212) 385-2073

Georgia Workers Compensation Offices

Hearing

Atlanta
270 Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30303-1299

Albany
414 N. Westover Blvd.
Suite C
Albany, Georgia 31707
or
P. O. Box 71985
Albany, GA 31708

Columbus
Heritage Tower, Suite 200
18 9th Street
Columbus, GA 31901

Covington
6253 Highway 278
Covington, Georgia 30014

Dalton
Suite 315
708 South Glenwood Avenue
Dalton, Georgia 30721-4406Macon

Suite A
110 Holiday Drive, N
Macon, GA 31210-1802

Savannah
Suite 601
Seven East Congress Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401

Florida office

Bureau of Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office (EAO)

Mailing Address: 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-4225
Toll Free: (800) 342-1741 Central Office: (850) 413-1610
Fax: (850) 413-1970 & (850) 413-1979

Mesothelioma lawyers

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Lung showing interstitial fibrosis Mesothelioma is a form of Lung Cancer. A Workers compensation Mesothelioma lawyer should be contacted to protect you and your families rights

Mesothelioma is a of cancer of the tissues that line the lungs, heart and stomach. These tissues are called mesothelial cells and they become infected by inhaling particles of dust from asbestos fibers. Once these cells become infected they dry up the fluids surrounding these major organs of the body and tumors begin to develop. The most prevalent form is pleural mesothelioma .75% of all malignant cases are from pleural mesothelioma. The other two of mesothelioma are peritoneal, and pericardial . Contact a knowledgeable mesothelioma lawyer to protect your rights.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Most individuals who develop mesothelioma worked around asbestos and typically develop symptoms of asbestos disease 20 years to 50 years after exposure. In the United States, mesothelioma is blamed for 131,200 cancer deaths between 1985 and 2009 and 10 million worldwide. About 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States.

Dealing with mesothelioma is a very difficult process for the victim and the family. It requires physical and emotional strength. The victim will need a strong family and social network, and expert medical and professional advice and assistance.and a supportive and experienced mesothelioma lawyer.

More about mesothelioma

It takes a long time before mesothelioma symptoms may appear and cause suffering to the victim. It can take fifteen to twenty years for this deadly cancer to begin to show signs of damage. This presents a very difficult challenge for doctors in diagnosing the disease as well as mesothelioma lawyers proving the cause.

How will mesothelioma be treated ?

Once mesothelioma has been diagnosed a treatment procedure can be recommended and begun. The correct treatment will depend on a number of factors. They include the location of the tumor, the stage of the disease and how far the cancer has spread in the patient. The treatment for mesothelioma will depend on the age , and stage the disease is in. Because of the long and arduous treatment, attorneys and lawyers have filed class action lawsuits on behalf of victims against companies and environments that have caused this deadly disease.

There are specialized treatment centers for mesothelioma

There are mesothelioma hospitals and medical specialists located all over the country. These are facilities and dedicated to treating mesothelioma cancers

Free Legal Shield and its team of mesothelioma lawyers are ready to help. If you worked in a high risk industry and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or have lost someone to asbestos related illness, it is your right to seek compensation from those responsible for your situation. The mesothelioma lawyers of Free legal Shield are your shields of Justice. There is no upfront cost to you. A mesothelioma lawyer works on a contingency basis.

Mesothelioma Lung cancer lawyers ready to help you in:

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Workers compensation lawyers Of Atlanta Georgia

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Atlanta Workers Compensation Lawyers help people injured on the job. The Attorneys are experienced with all job site injuries, Denial of benefits,medical expenses, rehabilitation,and work place wrongful death. You are in Good hands with a Free legal Shield workers compensation lawyer attorney. Some common work place injuries our workers comp attorneys commonly see are:

Back Injuries

Back injuries on the job are one of the most common work-related injuries and can also be one of the most serious. Often a single event, such as lifting a heavy box, will result in a work related back injury. Work that requires repetitive motions like bending or lifting may also cause back injuries. Sometimes, workers may aggravate a pre-existing back condition while they are performing their normal work activities or because of an accident. An experienced workers compensation lawyer can help

Most back injuries are successfully treated with conservative methods like medication or physical therapy. Surgery is sometimes required when these types of treatments are not successful. These work injuries can cause permanent disability and an inability to continue working. A workers compensation lawyer can assist with a lump sum settlement.

Some workers compensation insurance carriers may deny a claim for a back injury because of a pre-existing condition. If your claim is being denied for this reason, contact one of our experienced job site injury attorneys; you may be eligible for workers compensation benefits if your pre-existing condition was aggravated by your job duties.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD) is a serious work related injury

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and cause permanent disability. A workers compensation lawyer should be retained.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), is a chronic neurological syndrome which involves severe burning pain, tissue swelling or extreme sensitivity to touch. RSD develops in response to an event the body regards as traumatic, such as an accident or medical procedure. RSD may follow up to 5% of all injuries. Because RSD can result from many types of injuries—including sprains, falls, or minor injuries—RSD can also result from work-related accidents. RSD and CRPS can result in permanent disability, reduced hours or an inability to perform the same job. You must contact a workers compensation lawyer to protect your rights.

Treatment for RSD like fibromyalgia may include medication, physical therapy, psychological support, sympathetic nerve blocks and spinal cord stimulators or morphine pumps. If this injury is work related a workers compensation attorney is required due to many misunderstandings about RSD. Very often workers compensation insurance carriers will deny an injured workers claims for RSD. This is a severe complication following a work injury and an experienced job site attorney is required.

Tendonitis is a common workers compensation claim

Tendonitis is usually seen after excessive repetitive movement with which the tendon gradually becomes tighter until the fibers that make up tendons start to tear. This is common injury for truck drivers, cab driver and any repetitive motion job.Tendonitis is a common workplace injury; especially for workers whose job duties involve repeated movements. Workers whose tasks include constant lifting, pushing, pulling, or squatting may overuse their muscles, which may lead to the development of tendonitis. Long periods of sitting followed by movements without time to stretch and warm the muscles can cause tendonitis. The most common tendon areas that become inflamed are the elbow, wrist, thumb, biceps, shoulder leg, neck, knee, ankle, hip, and Achilles tendon.

Stress Fractures are a common on the job injury

A stress fracture is an injury that results from overuse. When muscles become fatigued and are unable to absorb added shock , the fatigued muscle transfers the overload of stress to the bone causing a tiny crack called a stress fracture. The most important treatment for a stress fracture is rest. Injured workers who have stress fractures should rest from the activity that caused the stress fracture, and only perform tasks that are pain-free during the six to eight weeks it takes for most stress fractures to heal. A workers compensation lawyer should be called to protect your rights regarding returning to work and light duty.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common workers compensation injury claims

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a medical condition in which nerves in the wrist are compressed. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include a burning or tingling sensation in the fingers, numbness, difficulty gripping or making a fist, dropping objects, and general weakness in the hands or wrists. If carpal tunnel syndrome is untreated, increased pain and weakness can disable hand function. Eventually grasping or holding objects becomes severely painful and and almost impossible due to weakness. Surgery can become necessary with a long recuperation period. Your workers compensation lawyers will help with,light duty,or change of job until there is a full recovery. There can be some limitations in work related tasks.

In the United States, carpal tunnel syndrome is the biggest single contributing factor to lost time at work and workers compensation claims.

Catastrophic disasters such as falls ,airplane crashes, train wrecks and 18 wheel truck accidents can cause Traumatic Brain Injury.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly affect many cognitive, physical, and psychological skills. Most traumatic brain injuries result in widespread damage to the brain because the brain acts like a ping-pong ball inside the skull during the impact of a catastrophic accident. An attorney experienced in catastrophic work related injuries should be hired to assist with this type of workers compensation claim.

It is sometimes difficult to understand the immediate impact of a traumatic brain injury, since the effects of this injury are very different in every person. However, a traumatic brain injury will often require life-long medical and psychological care or even wrongful death. Workers compensation law does allow for lump sum settlements for permanent disabilty as well as well as compensation for loss of a spouse.

Toxic Mold syndrome is a class action . Workers compensation lawyers who deal with lawsuits affecting large groups of individuals at a workplace are usually called in.

Toxic mold has many lung related health risks from exposure. There are several different varieties of mold that can cause breathing related health problems chronic bronchitis , heart problems, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple chemical sensitivity, and bleeding lungs.

Work related shoulder Injuries and knee injuries

The shoulder is a common area where work related injuries occur. Some of the more common injuries to the shoulder include muscle strains, rotator cuff tears, bursitis,tendonitis, and separated and dislocated shoulders. The injuries can range from minor to very serious.

Shoulder injuries are often the result of workplace accidents. These on the job injuries can result from one particular incident or develop over time as a result of repetitive use of the arm. An experience Workers compensation lawyer will be able to argue your case for a shoulder injury being work related

Knees are also common sites for workplace injuries. While there are four bones that come together at the knee, only the thigh bone and the shin bone form the joint itself. The strut bone on the outside of the leg provides a certain amount of stability, and the kneecap helps with joint function. These bones and joints result in your ability to bear weight or do weight bearing job tasks .

Each part of the anatomy needs to function properly for the knee to work. Acute injury and trauma as well as chronic overuse can both cause inflammation and its accompanying symptoms of pain, swelling, redness and warmth. These are very common work related injuries.

Joint Replacement resulting form shoulder, knee and hip work related injuries .

Injuries to joints, especially knees, shoulders and hips, occur on the job everyday. Joint injuries may be the result of repetitive motion activities or an aggravation of a pre-existing condition. When your pain cannot be managed through medication and physical therapy, you may be a candidates for joint replacement. Your workers compensation lawyer will show how your job related tasks caused the pain and the joint replacement.

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Workers with joint injuries who are thinking about a joint replacement should consider the impact their pain has on their ability to work or enjoy hobbies, whether or not the pain is persistent, and the failure of non-surgical treatments. Your workers compensation lawyer will be thinking about the appropriate compensation for you for your pain and suffering.

Workers compensation insurance carriers will often deny joint replacement surgeries for injured workers because they are costly and sometimes require numerous surgeries. Consider contacting a workers compensation attorney if your employer s workers compensation insurance carrier will not authorize your surgery. If you have been offered a settlement do not accept until you have consulted with a knowledgeable workers compensation lawyer. You may need a joint replacement in the future and should never accept a settlement payment too quickly.

The Greater Atlanta area workers compensation lawyers of Free Legal Shield will work 100% to protect your rights under the Georgia Workers Compensation Laws. Attorneys are ready to help you

We have workers compensation attorneys in the following Georgia counties and cities: Fulton County, DeKalb County, Atlanta , Sandy Springs , East Point , Redan, GA, Riverdale, GA, Snellville, GA, Conyers, GA, Covington , McDonough , Hampton ,GA, Lawrenceville, GA, Johns Creek ,GA, Roswell, GA, Woodstock, GA, Marietta ,GA, Smyrna, GA, Mableton. GA, Douglasville ,GA, Buford ,GA, Canton, GA.

Chronic Pain

Many work-related injuries result in chronic pain. Chronic pain is generally defined as painful symptoms from the work related injury that remain with the worker for at least two (2) months after the work related injury. For workers with permanent chronic pain (pain that will probably never go away), the worker may be entitled to a settlement under the Georgia Workers Compensation Law For more serious cases of chronic pain, the worker may also be eligible for future medical care. You must be represented by a workers compensation lawyer to fight your employers insurance company and protect your rights.

Lawyers for Benzine Exposure and Mesothelioma

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Benzene Exposure has been Blamed for Causing Leukemia and Anemia

If you have inhaled benzene as a result of your employment for a long period of time call 1 800 733 5342 for a workers compensation lawyer experienced in Benzene exposure today .

Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer of the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen that is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Many mesothelioma victims are given 8 to 12 months to live.

In addition to mesothelioma, workplace exposure to asbestos can also increase the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis, and other diseases of the larynx, lungs, kidneys, and other internal organs.

Benzene is now known to be the cause of various kinds of acute and chronic leukemia as well as non-Hodgkins lymphoma and aplastic anemia. These illnesses may affect you shortly after exposure to benzene or take years to develop.

Petroleum and tire workers, painters, and mechanics are among the groups of workers who are exposed to benzene both through inhaled fumes and contact with the skin on a daily basis

The toxic chemical benzene is a solvent found in a variety of other chemicals, including most glues, adhesives, paints and stains, plastics, and pesticides. It is also used in gasoline and cigarettes. Benzene is one of the most common chemicals in the world and is a leading cause of deadly cancers, including Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, and anemia.

Benzene Exposure Risks

Benzene is used in so many chemicals and products, millions of Americans have been exposed to it in levels that are potentially harmful. The following products are among the most common sources of benzene:

  • Paint and stain fumes
  • Manufacturing of plastics, detergents, glues and dyes
  • Pesticides
  • Hazardous waste areas
  • Cigarettes
  • Gas Refineries
  • oil rig workers
  • Burning coal and oil
  • Automotive exhaust

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia is a rare, but deadly form of cancer that affects the myeloid line of white blood cells. It causes rapid growth of abnormal cells, which then build up in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common type of acute leukemia among American adults and becomes more common as people age. About 13,000 people are diagnosed with AML each year in the United States, including about 4,200 in children under age 19. AML currently accounts for about 1.2% of all cancer deaths in the United States, but that number is expected to rise as the nation’s population grows older.

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is another disease commonly associated with benzene exposure. CLL affects a type of white blood cell called “B Cells” which are infection fighters inside the bone marrow. CLL damages the B Cells so they can no longer fight infection. When this happens, infections can quickly spread throughout the body.

Benzene Exposure Symptoms

Benzene exposure can result in the following symptoms:

  • Abdominal pain or “fullness”
  • Abnormal bleeding
  • Bone or joint pain
  • Enlarged spleen, lymph nodes, and liver
  • Excessive bruising
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Infection
  • Malaise (vague feeling of bodily discomfort)
  • Reduced tolerance for exercise
  • Weight loss

These symptoms are also often associated with the flu or other common diseases. To determine if benzene exposure is the cause of these symptoms a blood test can be used. Doctors then analyze the blood to check for a specific blood abnormality related to benzene exposure.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and believe you have been exposed to benzene, you should consult with your doctor and inform him/her of your possible benzene exposure. Your doctor may then make arrangements for a diagnostic test. Once you know you have Benzene related exposure comolications contact a workers compensation lawyer experienced in Benzene exposure.

Attorney referral Service has Mesothelioma Workers Compensation Attorneys ready to help you if you have been injured in the following Florida cities: Boca Raton, Bradenton, Cape Coral, Clearwater, Coral Gables, Daytona, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Fort Pierce, Fort Walton Beach, Gainesville, Hialeah, Hollywood, Homestead, Jacksonville, Key West, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Largo, Melbourne, Miami Miami Beach, Naples, New Smyrna Beach, Ocala, Orlando, Panama City, Pensacola, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Port Saint Lucie, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Titusville, Venice, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, West Pensacola, Winter Garden, Winter Haven, and Winter Park.
Attorney Referral — Florida Mesothelioma Workers Compensation Lawyers are ready to help you if you have been injured in the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian, River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa, Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington
We also have Mesotherlioma Workers Compensation lawyers in the following Georgia counties and cities: Fulton County, DeKalb County, Atlanta GA, Sandy Springs GA, East Point GA, Redan GA, Riverdale GA, Snellville GA, Conyers GA, Covington GA, McDonough GA, Hampton GA, Lawrenceville GA, Johns Creek GA, Roswell GA, Woodstock GA, Marietta GA, Smyrna GA, Mableton GA, Douglasville GA, Buford GA, Canton, GA.Columbus, Albany

Chemicals in Rubber-Mesothelioma Lawyers

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Chemical Used in Manufacturing of Rubber Products May Be Linked to Deadly Cancers such as lung cancer or mesothelioma. A Mesothelioma lawyer must be contacted.

A chemical widely used in the manufacturing of rubber products and other types of consumer goods may increase the risk of deadly cancers in workers who are exposed to the chemical fumes. Mesolthelioma Lawyers have litigated on behalf of workers who are victims of these chemicals.

The chemical, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, or MBT, more than doubles the risk of colon cancer and leaves workers four times as likely to develop bone marrow cancer than people who are not exposed, according to the study.

MBT is considered a “high-volume chemical” in the United States, with more than 1 million pounds of the chemical used each year. In the United States, it is used in various types of commercial sealants, vinyl, automobile radiator fluids, corrosion inhibitors, vulcanization agents, and other consumer products. The inhalation of these chemicals over a long period of time can result in lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Research Finds Possible mesothelioma Cancer Link

Researchers from the University of Birmingham concluded that MBT should be handled with care since studies have shown the chemical may be a human carcinogen capable of causing cancer in people who inhale the chemical fumes. Our Mesolthelioma lawyers will review your work history for links to lung cancer. The team of researchers focused on death rates of 363 workers who were exposed to the chemical while on the job at the Flexsys manufacturing plant in Wales for at least six months between 1955 and 1984 and cancer cases reported from 1971 to 2005.

The study found that the cancer risk increased in workers who were exposed to MBT over longer periods of time, but researchers said additional work is required to further substantiate the possible cancer link, since the study focused on such a relatively small group of workers.

Previous Studies Found Cancer in Mice

The new British study is the first to find a possible link between MBT fumes exposure and deadly mesothelioma -lung cancer in humans. Previous scientific studies had found the chemical could cause cancerous tumors in laboratory mice, researchers said.

Manufacturing Workers are at Risk for mesothelioma or lung cancer, Not Consumers

The researchers said the greatest risks of exposure are in factory workers who handle or work around the chemical in the manufacturing of rubber products. Inhaling these fumes are a potential cause of mesothelioma or other lung cancers .Consumers who use rubber products containing MBT are not at risk of cancer from the chemical because they would not typically inhale chemical fumes, which are only generated during the manufacturing of the products, researchers said. If you or a loved one has been exposed to these fumes and has been to a Doctor for treatment you must contact an experienced Mesothelioma lawyer to protect your rights. Lung cancer is a seriously debilitating disease. You deserve compensation. There are current mesothelioma class action suites underway. Call Free legal shields lawyer referral Service today for your mesothelioma lawyer