Please refer me to someone who will help my parents write a rebuttal letter to a workmans comp denial letter
March 11, 2011 8:45 AM Subscribe
My parents asked for my help in writing a rebuttal letter (due by April 17th) to a denial of service claim against workmans comp, but I am not qualified to write the letter. My parents will go ahead and do this on their own, but I want them to seek the advice of a professional. Please help me find one.
My dad has had head injuries related to work. The first one occurred when he fell through the ceiling while in a crawl space working on a cooling system. (previously, 2006). I am not sure of the details of this past year, but I know he fell again and hit his head.
Workmans comp only wants to cover treatment related to headaches, but he has more symptoms than that.
They live in SE Texas, near Beaumont, and close enough to Houston to go there for specialist visits. I want to pay for them to meet with someone who will review their case and help them write a letter of rebuttal so that they don't do it on their own. Please tell me how to select an expert for this, and also keep in mind that I live in Chicago.
My dad has had head injuries related to work. The first one occurred when he fell through the ceiling while in a crawl space working on a cooling system. (previously, 2006). I am not sure of the details of this past year, but I know he fell again and hit his head.
Workmans comp only wants to cover treatment related to headaches, but he has more symptoms than that.
They live in SE Texas, near Beaumont, and close enough to Houston to go there for specialist visits. I want to pay for them to meet with someone who will review their case and help them write a letter of rebuttal so that they don't do it on their own. Please tell me how to select an expert for this, and also keep in mind that I live in Chicago.
Otherwise, I would suggest a Texas Workers Compensation Attorney but that may end up costing more than you want to spend.
I know nothing about the TX workers' comp system, but in NJ workers' comp plaintiffs' attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.
posted by amro at 8:55 AM on March 11, 2011
I know nothing about the TX workers' comp system, but in NJ workers' comp plaintiffs' attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.
posted by amro at 8:55 AM on March 11, 2011
Oh, and yeah, I'd recommend that they hire a workers' comp attorney.
posted by amro at 8:57 AM on March 11, 2011
posted by amro at 8:57 AM on March 11, 2011
Response by poster: He is not in a union, and it didn't occur to me that he could possibly get help from a union. The first thing one of my friends suggested was that he go to his union. :(
posted by bleary at 8:57 AM on March 11, 2011
posted by bleary at 8:57 AM on March 11, 2011
Response by poster: amro: "Oh, and yeah, I'd recommend that they hire a workers' comp attorney"
They cannot afford to hire attorney.
posted by bleary at 8:59 AM on March 11, 2011
They cannot afford to hire attorney.
posted by bleary at 8:59 AM on March 11, 2011
Again, an attorney is likely to work on a contingency fee basis. This means he gets a percentage of any award your father receives and does not bill hourly.
posted by amro at 9:15 AM on March 11, 2011
posted by amro at 9:15 AM on March 11, 2011
Response by poster: amro: "Again, an attorney is likely to work on a contingency fee basis. This means he gets a percentage of any award your father receives and does not bill hourly"
Ok. noted.
I'm not sure they will want to sue. They did not want to sue the first time around, and I think that made them avoid attorneys.
I've settled on asking them to *please* hire an attorney even if they don't want to sue. The consultation is usually free, and then I could pay for up to a certain amount of whatever is not, even if they just want help filing a claim to get benefits for treatment.
posted by bleary at 9:31 AM on March 11, 2011
Ok. noted.
I'm not sure they will want to sue. They did not want to sue the first time around, and I think that made them avoid attorneys.
I've settled on asking them to *please* hire an attorney even if they don't want to sue. The consultation is usually free, and then I could pay for up to a certain amount of whatever is not, even if they just want help filing a claim to get benefits for treatment.
posted by bleary at 9:31 AM on March 11, 2011
Response by poster: I would like advice on finding an attorney. There is a wealth of search results. I don't feel comfortable selecting someone based on how much I hate their website. Angie's list does not seem to have a section for rating attorneys. Does anyone know of a site with reviews, and/or does anyone have heuristics for selecting a good attorney?
posted by bleary at 9:33 AM on March 11, 2011
posted by bleary at 9:33 AM on March 11, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks, Dasein, that is the largest chunk of advice I needed. Other than that, I had been wondering if an attorney was actually the appropriate type of expert to hire for this type of request, but judging from the replies, it is probably so.
Unless there are compensation specialists who work for people other than unions?
posted by bleary at 10:07 AM on March 11, 2011
Unless there are compensation specialists who work for people other than unions?
posted by bleary at 10:07 AM on March 11, 2011
Best answer: What you are looking for is called a "public adjuster".
posted by blargerz at 6:29 PM on March 11, 2011
posted by blargerz at 6:29 PM on March 11, 2011
Response by poster: More information from my parents. The place where dad works is not a workers compensation subscriber.
posted by bleary at 1:15 PM on March 15, 2011
posted by bleary at 1:15 PM on March 15, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Otherwise, I would suggest a Texas Workers Compensation Attorney but that may end up costing more than you want to spend.
FYI, It may help your searches to use the correct gender neutral name "Workers Compensation".
posted by saucysault at 8:52 AM on March 11, 2011