Accident Recovery Team Accident Recovery Team

Getting appropriate and immediate medical attention after an accident at work is often the biggest concern for clients. Today’s edition of the Accident Recovery Team podcast furthers the discussion on worker’s compensation law in Kansas. Partners Todd King and Gary Albin discuss treatment after a workplace injury.

Specific to Kansas, state law gives insurance companies the right to designate your treating doctor after a workplace injury. There are a lot of ramifications surrounding this point. Insurance companies aren’t supposed to control the doctors, but in reality, their influence is easy to see.

Treatment from an authorized provider is 100% paid for by the work comp carrier. The insurance company pays the fee under a reduced rate schedule. Any remaining balance is not the responsibility of the injured worker. The insurance company only has an obligation to pay $500 for unauthorized care.

Unauthorized medical treatment is not prohibited, it's just not going to automatically be paid for by the insurance company. It can end up in a stalemate between your health insurance and work comp insurance carrier. This is something to keep in mind when seeking a second opinion. Also, the injured worker has to pay the bill initially and submit it to the work comp carrier for reimbursement.

Emergency treatment is generally an exception to the designated doctor provision. Other points of dispute include different parts of the body. You may think that your right ankle was affected by the injury but the work comp insurance carrier may tell the treating doctor that they are only authorizing treatment on the left knee. Do your part to make sure the doctor documents all your complaints. This ensures that your medical records are complete and may be important to your case as it progresses.

There are also differences between scheduled and non-scheduled injuries that the insurance company understands far better than the injured worker. A nurse case manager may be assigned to your case and attend appointments with you. They may even attempt to speak with the doctor on your behalf and try to manage care in the direction they see fit. As a representative of the insurance company, and working in tandem with the authorized doctor, this begins to set the tone for your case in favor of the insuror.

Consult the Accident Recovery Team after an injury at work. The workers’ compensation treatment process is complicated and difficult to navigate. Conditions may persist or develop into other injuries that weren’t initially detected. Experienced attorneys with success representing injured workers, the Accident Recovery Team puts you back on level ground with insurance companies and the teams they utilize to minimize expenses. Reach out with any questions and speak to an attorney right away. Tune in to the next edition of The Accident Recovery Team Podcast for more information on workers’ compensation cases.

Getting appropriate and immediate medical attention after an accident at work is often the biggest concern for clients. Today’s edition of the Accident Recovery Team podcast furthers the discussion on worker’s compensation law in Kansas. Partners Todd King and Gary Albin discuss treatment after a workplace injury.

Specific to Kansas, state law state gives insurance companies the right to designate your treating doctor after a workplace injury. There are a lot of ramifications surrounding this point. Insurance companies aren’t supposed to control the doctors, but in reality, their influence is easy to see.

Treatment from an authorized provider is 100% paid for by the work comp carrier. The insurance company pays the fee under a reduced rate schedule. Any remaining balance is not the responsibility of the injured worker. The insurance company only has an obligation to pay $500 for unauthorized care.

Unauthorized medical treatment is not prohibited, it's just not going to automatically be paid for by the insurance company. It can end up in a stalemate between your health insurance and work comp insurance carrier. This is something to keep in mind when seeking a second opinion. Also, the injured worker has to pay the bill initially and submit it to the work comp carrier for reimbursement.

Emergency treatment is generally an exception to the designated doctor provision. Other points of dispute include different parts of the body. You may think that your right ankle was affected by the injury but the work comp insurance carrier may tell the treating doctor that they are only authorizing treatment on the left knee. Do your part to make sure the doctor documents all your complaints. This ensures that your medical records are complete and may be important to your case as it progresses.

There are also differences between scheduled and non-scheduled injuries that the insurance company understands far better than the injured worker. A nurse case manager may be assigned to your case and attend appointments with you. They may even attempt to speak with the doctor on your behalf and try to manage care in the direction they see fit. As a representative of the insurance company, and working in tandem with the authorized doctor, this begins to set the tone for your case in favor of the insuror.

Consult the Accident Recovery Team after an injury at work. The workers’ compensation treatment process is complicated and difficult to navigate. Conditions may persist or develop into other injuries that weren’t initially detected. Experienced attorneys with success representing injured workers, the Accident Recovery Team puts you back on level ground with insurance companies and the teams they utilize to minimize expenses. Reach out with any questions and speak to an attorney right away. Tune in to the next edition of The Accident Recovery Team Podcast for more information on workers’ compensation cases.

Bill Williams from HumanKind Ministries joins this edition of the Accident Recovery Team podcast--all about Operation Holiday! In partnership with the Accident Recovery Team, the annual holiday food and gift drive anticipates increased need this year.

If you have time or treasure to contribute to this cause, please follow this link. Volunteers and donations are critical to Operation Holiday. Serving approximately 15,000 low-income men, women, and children takes dedicated partners helping to get the word out and donations up. Items of greatest need include nonperishable food, new children’s coats, new or hand-made children’s winter accessories and new or hand-made blankets.

Serve your community alongside the Accident Recovery Team with Operation Holiday. Together, we have what it takes to feed families and bring smiles to kids in our community. Everyone has had a difficult 2020. But, every year since 1960, generous individuals and organizations have come together with HumanKind Ministries to run Wichita’s largest holiday assistance program.

This year, December’s distribution of holiday meals and gifts to families will be done in a drive-thru. It will be a safe, easy, contactless solution that meets the needs of those we serve. Distribution is by appointment only from December 15th to 19th near the Operation Holiday warehouse in Towne West.

Contact HumanKind MInistries or go to www.OperationHoliday.org to volunteer or donate.

Today’s edition of the Accident Recovery Team podcast kicks off a new series of discussions about worker’s compensation law in the State of Kansas. Todd King and Gary Albin, partners in the Accident Recovery Team will discuss the current state of law as of 2020.

Prior to the establishment of a worker's compensation statute, work related injuries were treated like any other injury. However, small employer’s could suffer business ending claims and conversely, injured workers could be easily ignored by large companies that controlled the accident environment. In 1911, Kansas became one of the first state to establish a workers compensation statute, that minimized the burden of proof and fault, but also established caps or limits to recover. The statute mandated employer covered insurance for workers.

The Kansas Workers Compensation Act is a state statute and as such is subject to legislative change and political influence. The fluidity of the system makes it even more important to involve an attorney that is current as to the status of the law.

After an on the job injury, it is critical for the injured worker to take the steps to document, initiate, and protect their rights. Immediate notice to a supervisor and completion of an accident report only the beginning. There are strict time limitations and deadlines, which if not satisfied, could destroy the workers claim forever. If injured at work, one should immediately contact an attorney to understand all the deadlines and action that must be taken.

This episode will discuss the basic aspects of Kansas Workers Compensation law from jurisdiction, payroll requirements, exceptions and exclusions, and what accidents are deemed to arise out of and in the course of one’s employment. Future episodes will discuss medical treatment, damages, lost wages, caps and limitations, litigation and settlement procedures, post award rights and the overlap of social security, short disability, Family Medical Leave Act and more.

Don’t let your employer, or their insurance company, tell you what your rights are. They do not have your best interest in mind. Reach out directly to Todd or Gary at the Accident Recovery Team for more information. With decades of experience and continuing education on this topic, you can count on them after an injury at work. The consultation is always free and you pay nothing until we win.

Sean Brennan and Drew Steadman speak about the mediation process that sometimes comes at the end of a case.

Sean has a conversation with Dr. David Hufford of Mid-America Orthopedics concerning injuries related to car accidents.