What do sandwiches and pastries have in common with workers’ compensation? More than you might think, when you analyze the process in which both are produced. I met my wife the other day for lunch at a Panera Bread near my office in downtown Sarasota. I ordered my perennial favorite, the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich, while…
Doctor, Doctor, Give Me a Clue. What's the Deal With Recording You?
An article that appears on our site today, written by Merrilee Harrell of NWCDN affiliated Alaska law firm Russell, Wagg, Gabbert & Budzinski, has prompted a question in my mind. Ms. Harrell writes of a decision by the Alaska Workers' Compensation Appeals Commission that will now prevent claimants from recording or having counsel present during…
Pulling Double Doody for Colonoscopy Prep
I’ll be damned. I have long maintained that a “catchy” headline; a clever title; perhaps even a humorous one that is a bit sophomoric, will entice readers to click on a link and see what the article is all about. And here you are. Apparently it works. Oh well, you’ve invested this much. Might as…
When California Conference Schedules Collide
I have to be in two places at once the first week of October. Unless I perfect the process of binary fission for humans very soon, it is going to be a hectic week. I recently volunteered for, and was appointed to, two committees for the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC).…
The Perception Series Part II: Why "Disabled" People Have a Perception Problem
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet we do it every day. In fact, there are entire departments at book publishers dedicated to nothing other than creating attractive and enticing cover designs to help lure us towards buying the books they contain. While it is true that the ultimate quality of…
The Perception Series Part I: Workers' Comp is a Problem for the Uninitiated and Unaware
I recently spoke to the Alabama Self Insurers Association, in a session called “The Wild & Wacky World of Workers’ Comp”. A large portion of my message was that many people – in fact most – outside the workers’ compensation system either do not know what comp is or have no clue how it operates.…
When Siri Becomes a Cost Saving Medical Provider
I have a bad feeling about this. A friend sent me a video from a (relatively?) recent NBC report showing how the Smartphone may soon be used to speed medical diagnosis and lower overall costs. The report highlights Dr. Eric Topol, a Cardiologist and champion of wireless technologies that can replace expensive and time consuming…
A Blinding Glimpse of Functional Impairment
There is a college in northwest New Mexico that has a Health & Human Performance Center on its campus. Within that center is a large, well equipped fitness facility, which is available to the public for a nominal fee. I have used this facility numerous times over the years when visiting relatives in the area.…
Serving Sopaipillas as God Intended
It’s Friday. You’ve been knee deep in workers’ comp all week. Let’s take a break. Today I provide this non-workers’ comp related, yet crucial diatribe concerning a mainstay of mexican cuisine. You may read it, and then take the rest of the day off. You’ve earned it. My wife and I flew into Albuquerque, New…
The Wildebeest Injury Rate Coefficient
Speaking purely from a statistical perspective, there are not many people in this country who have been seriously injured on the job. Those same statistical methods show that even fewer people have been seriously injured by a wildebeest on the job. There are no reliable statistics on home based wildebeest induced injuries. A zookeeper at…