Barrera Law Firm» Alexandria Virginia workers Comp

LIST OF COMMON TERMS OR ACRONYMS USED IN WORKERS COMPENSATION CLAIMS

dan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 13:37:32 +0000

There are a number of abbreviations used in Workers Compensation claims in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The following list is a work in progress, but is a rather complete list of the sometimes confusing acronym, abbreviations and lingo used in Workers Compensation Claims

A
ADR-Alternative Dispute Resolution
AMA-American Medical Association
AWW-Average Weekly Wage
AOE-Arising Out of Employment
B
C
CNA-Certified Nursing Assistant
CNS-Central Nervous System
COE-Course of Employment
CPT-Common Procedure Terminology
CTS-Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
COLA-Cost of Living Adjustment
CRPS-Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Cx-Complaints
C-1, C-2, etc-The Cervical Spine
D
DC -Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine
DO-Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Dx-Diagnosis
DDS-Doctor of Dental Science
DME-Durable Medical Equipment
DOB-Date of Birth
DOE-Department of Employment
DOI-Date of Injury
DOS-Date of Service
E
EE-Employee
ER-Emergency Room or Employer
EOB-Explanation of Benefits
F
FAX-Facsimile (Transmission)
FCE-Functional Capacity Evaluation
FX- Fracture
G
H
HCP-Health Care Provider
Hx-History
I
ICU-Intensive Care Unit
IME-Independent Medical Examination
J
K
L
LOE-Loss of Earnings
LPN-Licensed Practical Nurse
L-1, L-2 etc-The Lumbar Spine
M
MD-Doctor of Medicine
MI-Myocardial Infarction
MMI-Maximum Medical Improvement
MRI-Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MVA-Motor Vehicle Accident
N
O
OR-Operating Room
OT-Occupational Therapy
OJT-On the Job Training
OTC-Over-the-Counter (medication)
OWC- Office of Workers’ Compensation
P
PA-Physician Assistant
PI-Private Investigator
PT-Physical Therapy-
Px-Prognosis
PPD-Permanent Partial Disability
PRN-Patient Return as Needed
PTD-Permanent Total Disability
Q
R
RN-Registered Nurse
Rx-Prescription
ROM-Range of Motion
RSD-Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, also known as complex regional pain syndrome
RTW-Return to Work
S
Sx-Symptoms
SSI-Social Security (Retirement) Income
SSN-Social Security Number
SSDI-Social Security Disability Income
SOAP-Subjective (data), Objective (data), Assessment and Plan
T
Tx–Treatment
TENS-Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
TMJ-Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (Dysfunction)
TPD-Temporary Partial Disability (light-duty)
TTD-Temporary Total Disability
T-1, T-2 etc.-The Thoracic spine
U
V
VR-Vocation Rehabilitation
VWC-Virginia Workers Compensation Commission
W
WH-Work Hardening

Insurance company tries to avoid responsibility for office fire deaths

dan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:13:37 +0000

Many people ask me whether I think they can handle their Virginia Workers’ Compensation claim on their own. I am usually hesitant to say that they should. Insurance companies and their lawyers will do everything they can to deny the claim or to pay the minimum possible under the law. A good example of the lengths that insurance companies will go to avoid responsibility was recently in the news

It was recently reported in the news that a devastating fire at an office building in Houston left a three people dead. It was a terrible fire, and unfortunately there were a number of workers who were not able to make it out alive. Great American Insurance Company was the insurer for these claims, and was facing upwards of 25 million dollars in potential liability. It might be assumed that this “Great American” company might pay the families of the deceased worker. Instead,the company filed a lawsuit in Federal Court claiming that the smoke that killed the three people was “pollution” and that surviving families shouldn’t be compensated for their losses since the deaths were not caused directly by the actual flames. This should prove once and for all that this Insurance company is neither “Great” nor “American”, it is just another example of a large insurance company trying to avoid any responsibility regardless of whether they are doing what is right, or what is just.

This is where lawyers such as myself come in. I’d like to think that the average person could handle their own workers’ compensation claim, but when I hear stories such as this one, I have to think twice. Insurance companies will do everything in their power to deny your claim, or pay you the least possible. Do yourself a favor and hire a lawyer.

$15,000 Virginia Workers' Compensation Settlement – Wrist fracture

dan — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:00:54 +0000

In 2007, our client a 16 year old young man, working during his summer vacation, fell at work and landed on his left wrist. He was seen at the hospital and a closed reduction of the fracture was performed by a Virginia Orthopedic Surgeon. He later returned to the operating room for an ORIF, open reduction/internal fixation of the wrist fracture with the placement of a standard DVR plate. After being off of work for 8 weeks, he returned to back to work.

Many times we are limited in what we can obtain for our clients in terms of their permanent partial disability as it is in large part determined by the client’s average weekly wage. In Virignia, workers who earn more will qualify for a more in terms of permament partial disabilty as their compensation rate is higher. It can be argued that this system is unfair to lower paid workers, the Workers’ Compensation system in Virginia allows for large variability in terms of settlements as the employee’s compensation rate alwys plays a large role in any offer. The Workers’ Compensation Act in Maryland provides for uniform awards for permenent partial disability, however the awards are ususally less than what is obtained in Virginia.