Often, physicians who perform Independent Medical Examinations (IMEs), hired by the PA workers’ compensation insurance carrier, seem less than truly independent (I know, shocking, huh?). I have heard IME doctors over the years testify that a bulging disc is a natural finding, one that cannot cause symptoms, and cannot lead…
Several months ago, we posted a blog entry observing how diagnostic testing, MRI in particular, does not show “pain.” What can be seen on such studies are anatomical conditions which may or may not actually cause pain. We observed how this creates difficulty in litigation, such as a Pennsylvania workers’…
Dealing with victims of work-related injuries every day, we understand that many of our clients need pain medications just to get through their days. Some of those prescriptions, however, are going to be changing, in an effort to make them safer. Many pain medications combine an opioid, such as codeine,…
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, recent advances in hip replacements have made the procedure easier, and made the results last longer. All of the news is not good, however, as these advances may come with potential consequences. Metal-on-metal hip replacements can dramatically improve a patient’s quality of…
Though, generally speaking, Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system is based purely on wage loss, there are exceptions to the rule. With most work-related injuries in PA, workers’ comp is paid only if the injured worker is disabled from his or her job by the work injury. One large exception is the…
As Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation attorneys, we see a wide variety of conditions faced by injured workers, from broken arms and legs to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Brachial Plexopathy, and everything in between. While the conditions plaguing these injured workers vary widely, there is one constant we see in case…
A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported by the Associated Press, found that amateur athletes (and by extension, victims of work injuries in PA), who have torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in their knee, actually do better by trying to rehab the knee before…
We are pleased to present a guest blog post from http://www.metropolitanmds.com regarding the use of acupuncture. We thought this may be of benefit to injured workers, who may be interested in exploring alternative areas for pain relief: Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of health care and treatments on…
“Water on the knee” is one of those phrases we hear that harkens back to years ago, like lumbago (low back pain) or causalgia (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD); now also known as Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)). Simply put, “water on the knee” is swelling (also called “effusion”) of the…
In representing injured workers in Pennsylvania, we frequently see hearing loss cases. Many work environments require employees in those areas to be exposed to dangerously high levels of noise. Over a period of time, this can lead to a loss in hearing. Tinnitus, perceived usually as a “ringing” in the…