Tag Archives: holiday job

What’s new for 2019 in Nebraska workers compensation?

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The beginning of the year usually sees rule and benefit changes in the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court. 2019 will be no different. The maximum rate for disability benefits will increase to $855 to $831. Mileage reimbursement for medical visits and vocational rehabilitation will increase to $.58 per mile from $.545 per mile.

While annual increases in the maximum benefit rate are routine in Nebraska, it is not routine in all states. The annual increase in the maximum benefit rate ensures that compensation stays adequate from both a practical and constitutional perspective.

The minimum benefit remains unchanged at $49.00 per week. That amount has not changed since 1973. That  low amount can particularly harm a worker who suffers a serious injury on a second job or part-time job — like a holiday job — if the work injury keeps them from doing a full-time job.

The mileage rate increase might also seem humdrum, but it is common for injured workers in Nebraska to travel relatively long distances to seek care from specialists. An increase in mileage reimbursement of $.035 per mile means another $7 for injured worker who makes a 200-mile roundtrip for medical treatment which is not uncommon in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court also approved various procedural changes at their meeting on December 20th.

Rule 2 Rule 2 regulates filing in the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court. Changes to the filing rules mandate the use of registration for the E-File system through Nebraska.gov. Additionally, the court will formally allow pleadings filed by 11:59:59 p.m. central time to be deemed to be filed that day rather than waiting for formal business hours to get a document file stamped. Appeals can now also be filed electronically.

Rule 47 – The change to Rule 47 provides that more detailed information about third-party cases be provided to the court in settlements that require court approval. The court doesn’t have jurisdiction to determine third-party liability but it does have some interest in repayment or subrogation interests under the theory that subrogation interests ensure that medical providers are adequately paid. Case law also provides that protection of a employer/insurers subrogation interest effectuates the beneficent purpose of the act.

Rule 50 – The court ended its prohibition of doctors referring patients to clinics where they have an ownership interest. This rule changes allows for doctors to refer to physican-owned specialty hospitals. These hospitals can perfrom procedures at a lower cost, but the ACA prohibited such facilites from taking Medicare and Medicaid. 

The court also adopted a new fee schedule dictating how providers are paid for treating work injuries. You can read about here as to why that is significant here. The court also rejected a change to NWCC Rule 10 prompted by a recent Nebraska Supreme Court decision that you can read about here.

The offices of Rehm, Bennett, Moore & Rehm, which also sponsors the Trucker Lawyers website, are located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Five attorneys represent plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and Social Security disability claims. The firm’s lawyers have combined experience of more than 95 years of practice representing injured workers and truck drivers in Nebraska, Iowa and other states with Nebraska and Iowa jurisdiction. The lawyers regularly represent hurt truck drivers and often sue Crete Carrier Corporation, K&B Trucking, Werner Enterprises, UPS, and FedEx. Lawyers in the firm hold licenses in Nebraska and Iowa and are active in groups such as the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (NATA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). We have the knowledge, experience and toughness to win rightful compensation for people who have been injured or mistreated.

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New Employees Face Higher Risk, Harder Consequences for Work Injuries

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As the holiday season approaches, many people will take on second or holiday jobs. Workers taking on such jobs will be taking on a heightened risk of injury. One academic study showed that temporary employees are two to three times more likely to be injured. An Omaha-based construction company found that 65 percent of lost-time injuries took place in the first 90 days of employment (this link is a downloadable presentation). This blog post will describe some causes of injury and then talk about some particular challenges faced by new employees who are injured.

Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of work injury. This hazard can be particularly acute during the winter in retail and restaurant jobs because customers will track in snow and other moisture. Strain from lifting is also a common injury. Warehouse work is in high demand over the holiday season, and one risk particular to such work is the risk of falling pallets or boxes.

One challenge that new employees face when they get hurt is how to calculate their disability benefits. A worker may not have been employed long enough for an employer and/or insurer to accurately determine how much the employee should be paid in benefits after getting hurt. One approach may to be base this benefit rate on pay of similarly situated co-workers. If you believe you are getting shortchanged on benefits because you were a new employee when you were hurt, you should contact a lawyer.

Workers’ compensation is supposed to pay you benefits regardless of your fault in the injury. But fault can still play a role in work-injury claims. If your injury was the fault of someone other than your employer or a co-worker, then you might be able to pursue a negligence case against that party. Unfortunately, some employers have tried to reintroduce fault into the workers’ compensation system, to the detriment of newer employees. Some employers will fire or discipline employees who have preventable or lost-time accidents during the beginning of their employment. In my view, such policies amount to employers almost admitting that they are retaliating against employees who get hurt at work. If you have been disciplined under such a policy, you should contact an attorney.

The offices of Rehm, Bennett, Moore & Rehm, which also sponsors the Trucker Lawyers website, are located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Five attorneys represent plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, personal injury, employment and Social Security disability claims. The firm’s lawyers have combined experience of more than 95 years of practice representing injured workers and truck drivers in Nebraska, Iowa and other states with Nebraska and Iowa jurisdiction. The lawyers regularly represent hurt truck drivers and often sue Crete Carrier Corporation, K&B Trucking, Werner Enterprises, UPS, and FedEx. Lawyers in the firm hold licenses in Nebraska and Iowa and are active in groups such as the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), American Association for Justice (AAJ), the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys (NATA), and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). We have the knowledge, experience and toughness to win rightful compensation for people who have been injured or mistreated.

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