Georgia Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

As a 3-time OIF/OEF veteran, I have a high appreciation for those who have served in the United States military, particularly those who have given their lives for our country.  Please take the time to appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for all of us by those who have raised their right hands and sworn to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. 

While our family was in the Great Smoky Mountains hiking this year, a few years ago, we went to Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day and watched the changing of the sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknowns, the President's laying a wreath there, and the black leather-clad Rolling Thunder participants who provided stark contrast to the thousands of white headstones. 

I highly recommend visiting Arlington or a local military cemetery one year on Memorial Day.  Put a flag at one of the headstones.  Be grateful.

This video shows the negative consequences of delayed medical treatment after a workplace injury.  It focuses on Atlanta police officers. 

Even if you are on workers' compensation benefits and are getting your medical care covered by your employer's workers' comp insurer, you should discuss your case with an attorney who specializes in Georgia workers compensation claims to ensure your case is not neglected.  Adjusters assigned to workers' comp cases frequently change, and timely approval of prescribed medical care can stop when an unfamiliar adjuster takes over an old claim.  An advocate can help you, the injured worker, fight for timely approval of necessary medical treatment before your condition worsens. 
 

Tomorrow, I'll attend a memorial service for Leigh Reeves, the attorney for whom I worked my first several years of practicing law when I was a naive, fresh-out-of-school attorneylet.  It occurred to me tonight while running that I never thanked her for all she taught me in the three years we worked together. 

Thank you for being such a great "bad cop."  When we represented a trucking company against a pro se claimant who thought it his mission in life to call our firm daily and rant about the Georgia's Workers' Compensation Act, insurance companies, his doctors, his former attorney, and our firm, you had the bright idea to start playing "good cop, bad cop" with him:  I answered the phone and calmly placate him, while you told him to "Go to Hell."  It worked perfectly until you called me as a witness at the hearing to testify against him, and he became so angry that the Judge ordered us to go downstairs for ADR instead.  This also would've been fine, had he not tried to bring a knife into the mediation. 

Thank you for the career advice I didn't follow.  When I seemed concerned about compensation, you gave me a speech about loving the law and not practicing law just for the money it can potentially pay.  You told me that if I was "only interested in money," I should become a stockbroker.  Thank God I didn't follow that advice in 2006.

Thanks for the real estate advice.  When I voiced my excitement over a new development near my home that included a grocery store with handy wipes for cleaning the buggy handles, you encouraged me by saying, "You should move to the suburbs.  In Cobb County, our Kroger doesn't need to have handy wipes by the buggies.  Everyone's clean."

Thanks for the heart-felt congratulations.  When I told you I'd eloped, you said, "Well damn!  Let's talk when I'm not so busy."

Thanks for the parenting advice.  When I told you about enjoying helping with bath time every night, you told me about your recent conversation with your son during bath time:

Son:  "Is 'shit' a bad word?"
You:  "Yes, son."
Son:  "Is 'son of a bitch'?"
You:  "Yes, son, we don't say that, either."
Son:  "What about motherfucker?"
You:  "Definitely."

Thanks for your empathy.  When my face showed stress at work, you told me, "Smile, Michael.  Life sucks right now, but smile anyway."

Thanks for your confidence.  When I failed to get a first set hearing postponed, you reacted by saying, "I'm not driving to Augusta to try the case.  Congratulations, you're trying your first case in two days."  When I said we didn't have a reasonable defense, you told me to find one and not to give up.   You were right.  We won.  And we won every case we litigated together for the next three years.

Thanks for your ignorance.  When I talked about frustration with my younger sibling, you told me, "Well, I have a big sister who's perfect like you--never got in trouble, always made good decisions in life.  Not everybody's like that."

Thanks for your faith.  When you walked into my office during the winter of 2006, closed the door, and told me you had cancer, you immediately reacted to my distraught expression with a hasty, "I'm not going to die!  I'm just going to have to leave early the next few Fridays and might be sick and weak the following Mondays.  Prayers are appreciated, but otherwise, nothing will change."  And you were right, as far as we knew.  Every time I saw someone from your firm over the past several years, I'd confirm it was in remission and all was well. 

Thanks for being the right mix of friend, mentor, supervisor, confidant, and coach.

Thanks for being a perfect example of the consummate professional. 

You will be missed.

Margaret Spence, who interviewed Atlanta workers' compensation lawyer Michael Moebes for National Return to Work Week today, received a very positive response to the information given regarding issues that arise when helping an injured worker return to employment.  The broadcast will be podcast and embedded here later this week for future reference.

Of particular interest was Moebes' experience with two combat tours in Iraq and the return-to-work issues veterans may face after a line-of-duty injury that inhibits their ability to return to pre-deployment jobs.  In states like Georgia, where an aggravation of a pre-existing injury is a compensable new injury for purposes of workers' compensation law, employers may have concerns over rehiring a returning veteran, despite the protections offered the veteran under USERRA.  Certainly, a soldier in such a scenario should not hesitate to consult with a workers' comp lawyer who has military experience, like Moebes.

In order to have an advocate who understands "both sides" of a workers' compensation claim, working with an attorney who has practiced both insurance defense and claimants' litigation is the best way to go.  Such qualifications are why the National Return to Work Week organization is interviewing Atlanta workers' comp attorney Michael Moebes on May 11 regarding legal issues associated with an injured worker's returning to work. 

The interview will address several issues relevant to injured workers, such as:

"How will hiring an attorney affect my relationship with my employer?"
"Are employers more likely to fire me after my injury, because of the slowing economy?"
"When can my employer force me to come back to work after an injury?" 
"What if my employer has no light duty to offer?"

Feel free to listen in at 3:30pm Eastern time to learn more!