Accolades

  • Voted a Michigan Super Lawyer for 2010
  • Listed in "Best Lawyers of America" since its inception in 1994
  • Most Respected Advocate in 2006 by the Defense Bar of the State of Michigan
  • Outstanding Attorney of the Year in Ingham County
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated

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Uninsured Motorist Insurance, No-Fault Insurance

and Workers' Compensation)

Compensation for Federal Employees

As opposed to state Workers' Compensation Acts, federal employees who receive on-the-job injuries are specifically covered by the Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA). FECA operates much like state statutes; it outlines a no-fault system that provides federal employees with fixed benefits in exchange for the loss of the right to sue the government. FECA covers both the disability and death of a federal employee, and outlines the types of benefits available to a federal employee in either event.

Impairment Meets or Equals Listing of Impairments for Social Security Disability Evaluation

In the sequential evaluation of disability by the Social Security Administration (SSA), a major step is whether the individual has a condition that meets the twelve-month duration requirement and that is represented on the Social Security Administration's Listing of Impairments (LOI) or equal to a listed impairment. The LOI is divided into two parts. One part applies to individuals over age eighteen and one part is applicable to individuals under eighteen.

Supplemental Security Income Appeals Process

Aggrieved individuals may appeal initial determinations of the Social Security Administration with respect to a variety of issues. A non-exhaustive list of appealable issues includes whether an individual is eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, the amount of an individual's SSI benefit, whether an overpayment has occurred and the amount to be repaid, and whether the individual suffers from a "disability." Though individuals have sixty days to initiate the appeal process, only those individuals who appeal within ten days may have their benefits continued until the appeal is decided. If ultimately, the individual's appeal is unsuccessful, the payments he received in the interim will be considered overpayments. After each decision in the appeal process, the individual has another sixty days in which to appeal to the next level.

Hazardous Employment

Whether employment is "hazardous" is a distinction in workers' compensation that has lost much of its relevance in most states. Those states that retain the distinction are known to identify certain occupations or businesses that are statutorily considered to be "hazardous" or to define all employment as "hazardous" with specified exceptions. In these jurisdictions, workers' compensation is mandated for those occupations considered "hazardous."