Monthly Archives: October 2011

Monday Workers’ Compensation Q&A: I am already getting Social Security and a Pension…

QUESTION: IF I AM GETTING SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (SSD) AS WELL AS A PENSION DOES THAT MEAN I CANNOT GET WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AS WELL?

ANSWER: YOU CAN GET STILL GET WORKERS’ COMPENSATION WHEN YOU ARE RECEIVING A PENSION AND SSD.

At 55, Joe was a walking museum of every accident he had ever had in his 30 years of working the job. That last accident put him out of work for almost two years. Luckily, he filed all the paperwork, submitted all the forms, crossed all his ‘Ts’ and received Social Security Disability (SSD). But after three decades of hard work, Joe had had enough and so he started the paperwork to retire. But he was worried. He had planned on applying for Workers’ Compensation, but he wasn’t sure he’d could since he was already on SSD and about to receive his pension. What should he do?

File, Joe! File!!

The combination of Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability and a pension is called the Trifecta, a Triple Crown of benefits, so to speak. Continue reading →

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Important Changes Are Coming to Social Security in 2012

Changes to Social Security are coming in 2012. Beginning in the new year, the threshold (maximum amount) a disabled, non-blind, person can make per month to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits will increase from $1,000 per month to $1,010 per month. This cap is how the Social Security Administration defines Substantial Gainful Activity.

One quarter of coverage is now $1,130, up from $1,120, and maximum taxable earnings have increased from $106,800 to $110,100.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will go up from $674 per month to $698 per month,  in step with the general 3.6% cost of living increase for all benefits. This amount does not include any State Supplement.

For the complete report on 2012 Social Security Changes, check out this Fact Sheet.

If you are wondering what the implications of these changes will be for you, learn more at SocialSecurity.gov, or contact your attorney.

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Dangerous Beauty Part 2: Why you don’t want to be anywhere near the formaldehyde in a Brazilian Blowout

The formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowout products is dangerous for both stylists and their clients.

Today’s post comes to us from our colleague Charlie Domer of Wisconsin.

This is the second installment in our series on the dangers of hair-straightening products with formaldehyde.

For many of us, the word formaldehyde conjures up images of high school biology class, and glass jars full of preserved frogs. But for Molly Scrutton, a stylist from Portland, Oregan, it most likely calls to mind the sore throat and aching chest she felt after giving her clients the Brazilian Blowout hair treatment.

After investigating and learning that other stylists had suffered from similar symptoms, Scrutton reported it to local health officials. Since then, Brazilian Blowout has been found to contain over 10 times the amount of formaldehyde considered safe.

Turns out formaldehyde is pretty nasty stuff. Here’s why:

Formaldehyde does terrible things to the body.

Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and nose, causing coughing and wheezing. It can cause allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and lungs, such as asthma-like breathing problems, skin rashes, and itching. Effects reported by users of formaldehyde-laced hair straightening products include eye disorders, nervous system disorders, respiratory tract problems, chest pain, vomiting and rash. If you have been exposed to a hair straightener and suffer from any of these symptoms, you should seek medical treatment immediately.

Sometimes the effects of formaldehyde exposure are irreversible or fatal.

When formaldehyde is sprayed into the eyes, it can cause blindness. It is also a known carcinogen, and has Continue reading →

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Monday Workers’ Compensation Q&A: I didn’t lose time from work…

Even if you didn't lose time from work, you can still file a claim.

QUESTION: WHEN I GOT HURT, I DID NOT LOSE ANY TIME FROM WORK. SHOULD I BOTHER TO FILE A WORKERS COMPENSATION CLAIM?

ANSWER: LOST TIME IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO FILE A CLAIM

Joe was working a plumbing job at a construction site. He was tightening a connection to an S pipe when the wrench slipped and so did his wrist. Lucky for him, it was only a fracture. The ER was quiet and empty and two hours Joe was back on site, supervising Mike on pipe installation and making sure the job got done. Sure he would have to do some physical therapy on his wrist but that would happen on the weekends. He wouldn’t lose a day of work as he healed.

As he and Mike finished up their day’s work, Mike mentioned to Joe that he should file a Workers’ Comp claim. “But why?” asked Joe. “I was only gone for two hours and the physical therapy will happen on Saturday. Don’t you have to be out for like weeks to file a claim? Nah… I’m not going to file.”

File, Joe! File!!

You don’t have to miss a day of work in order to file a successful claim. Continue reading →

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Dangerous Beauty: FDA says Brazilian Blowout lied about the deadly formaldehyde in their product

Today’s post comes to us from our colleague Charlie Domer of Wisconsin.

It all started a little over a year ago, when an Oregon hair stylist reported difficulty breathing, nosebleeds, and eye irritation after using the popular Brazilian Blowout hair-straightening product on her customers. Based on her referral, Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division, and eventually the national Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) began testing hundreds of hair straightening products. They found formaldehyde, an irritating and carcinogenic substance, in many of them. In particular, the product called Brazilian Blowout, which is falsely labeled as formaldehyde-free, was found to contain dangerous amounts of the substance.

They found formaldehyde, an irritating and carcinogenic substance, in many of the products.

Well, now the FDA has also issued a warning letter to the makers of Brazilian Blowout saying that the levels of formaldehyde in their product are extremely high. In the FDA’s tests, levels of formaldehyde in samples ranged from 8.7% to 10.4 %, more than 10 times higher than the 0.2% that is considered safe. Brazilian Blowout’s chief executive Mike Brady says he Continue reading →

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Monday Workers’ Compensation Q&A: I told my supervisor about the accident, is that enough?

QUESTION: I TOLD MY SUPERVISOR ABOUT THE ACCIDENT BUT I DID NOT SUBMIT AN ACCIDENT REPORT. AM I GOOD TO GO WITH THE VERBAL NOTICE?

ANSWER: ALWAYS REPORT AN INJURY IN WRITING

Joe was working a construction job when Mike accidentally beaned Joe on the head with a 2X4. After seeing a couple of Tweety Birds and a whole bunch of stars, Joe went down to his supervisor’s station and told him he had just had an accident. Then he went off to the ER to make sure he was not seriously injured, relieved he had taken care of business at the job site. All he had to do now was get better.

No, Joe! No!

Yes, Joe satisfied the notice requirement. However, Joe was NOT good to go.

Supervisors sometimes have a funny habit of forgetting conversations or oral notices of an accident. Even if Joe’s supervisor were his best friend, when push came to shove there could be no telling what the supervisor might say in Court front of a Judge.

Furthermore, Continue reading →

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The NFL’s surprising occupational hazard: obesity that kills, PART 2

Today more then 350 NFL linemen weigh over 300 pounds.

Today we have a follow-up post from our colleague Len Jernigan of North Carolina.

A few weeks ago, we shared a post about a surprisingly common illness affecting retired NFL players: chronic obesity.

In 1990, less than 70 players in the NFL weighed more than 300 pounds. Today there are more than 350 who weigh that much. All this weight adds up to
higher death rates for retired NFL linemen than for the general public.

Retired NFL players are more likely to have medical conditions that go along with obesity Continue reading →

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Monday Workers’ Compensation Q&A: My injury isn’t serious

QUESTION: MY INJURY WAS NOT SERIOUS. SO WHY SHOULD I FILE A CLAIM?

ANSWER: BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. ALWAYS FILE A CLAIM NO MATTER HOW MINOR THE INJURY.

As a Central Park Parks Department Supervisor, Joe was always in the thick of things, literally and figuratively. He ran a crew of 50 and everyone looked up to him. After a really bad storm that left the Park a disaster area, Joe corralled his crew and they all got to work clearing tons of debris and cutting down trees that were about to topple.

One such tree required someone to shimmy up and secure a rope for the tractor. Joe didn’t think twice and up he went. Down he came with a twisted knee. “Hey,” Joe, thought, “if I can still stand and walk, it must be no big deal.” So Joe didn’t stop to get his “minor” injury examined and he didn’t file a claim for that “minor” injury. Instead, he continued to work another 12 hours.

Oh no, Joe! No! Continue reading →

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