In this special edition of Workers’ Comp Matters from an ABA TIPS 2010 Conference on National Trends and Emerging Issues in Workers’ Compensation, host and Attorney Alan S. Pierce spotlights the intoxication defense in defending a workers’ compensation claim. Alan welcomes Attorney Gregory T. Presmanes from Bovis, Kyle & Burch, LLC to discuss how to best investigate these cases, how to educate clients, medical privacy issues and the intoxication defense in other jurisdictions.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Benoit Language Services.

In this special edition of Workers’ Comp Matters from an ABA TIPS 2010 Conference on National Trends and Emerging Issues in Workers’ Compensation, host and Attorney Alan S. Pierce welcomes Jodi Harris from Blue Eagle Investigations, to discuss the pros and cons of workers compensation surveillance. Jodi will give an inside look at surveillance, combating the fraud that exists in the workers’ comp system, ethical and privacy issues and the different types of investigations and surveillance when dealing with an illegitimate claim.

Special thanks to our sponsor, Benoit Language Services.

aba_tipsWe recently completed production on a series of podcasts for the Tort Trial and Practice Section (TIPS) of the American Bar Association.

On this Legal TIPS program, co-hosts Attorney Gilda Mariani and Attorney Barbara Gislason, chat with Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (“TIPS”) Chair Timothy Bouch about TIPS’ diversity initiatives. And host Attorney Gilda Mariani explores the formation and development of one of TIPS diversity initiatives, the Leadership Academy, with its current dean Attorney Peter Neeson, as a vehicle for drawing young lawyers from diverse backgrounds who aspire to serve the public.

Join host and Attorney Alan S. Pierce at the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Section (TIPS) conference in Chicago recently for a candid discussion of the AMA Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 6th Edition in this Workers Comp Matters. Join Alan with special guests, Dr. Christopher Brigham, board certified in Occupational Medicine, President of Brigham and Associates and Senior Contributing Editor to AMA Guides effective now in 2008 and Attorney Todd McFarren, partner at Rucka, O’Boyle, Lombardo and McKenna and past president of the Work Injury Law and Advocacy Group (WILG). What’s the importance of the Guides in workers comp cases as a standard to define the impact of an injury or illness? And hear the recent criticism from some lawyers in the plaintiff bar across the U.S. Hear the issues and answers!

The future of Workers Compensation laws are changing. Trends show the laws are being reformed making it more difficult for employees and easier for big corporations when it comes to Workers Comp. Is there a trend to federalize the laws? The questions are raised during Attorney Alan S. Pierce‘s Workers Comp Matters program discussed before an audience at the recent ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) conference in Chicago. Listen as expert guests, Professor Ed Welch, School of Labor & Industrial Relations at Michigan State University and Professor John F. Burton, Jr., School of Management & Labor Relations at Rutgers University join Alan in this peek at the future and where we go from here in Workers Comp legal issues. Special thanks to TIPS Chair & Attorney Len Nason for inviting LegalTalkNetwork to the conference.