Mark Hawke was a full time live in caregiver of a 100% disabled veteran. For the most part, he took care of himself and was in good shape, he would go on 5 mile walks or runs and even lift light weights.
Like many other workers, he injured himself after picking up his client. That was when everything changed for him. It all started when the employer was not doing much after the injury happened. Mark had to figure out how the Workers’ Compensation System worked, all on his own. From looking for the insurance company responsible for his benefits to having to advocate for all of his injured body parts.
In this episode, we dive into the workers’ comp story of Mark Hawke. You will not believe the crazy ups and downs, hoops and challenges he faced along the way.
February 14, 2022
Death benefits get paid to the dependents of the deceased. It is not always mentioned that the amount received is enough to cover the burial expenses and often times also include a cash benefit. In this episode, Workers’ Comp Attorney Bilal Kassem, speaks about the cash benefits. the beneficiaries and the type of payments received.
February 14, 2022
Disabilities that render you unable to work, function, or lead an everyday life make you eligible for the permanent disability benefits through the workers’ compensation system under California law. Bilal talks about ratings given to body parts and deciding factors that are taken into consideration when doctors give a rating.
January 20, 2022
Online platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram may help us connect to people and express ourselves, but in legal cases, anything posted online can and will be used against you. That being said, it is easy to avoid things that can complicate your chances of winning a legal case. Here’s a quick rundown of the things you should not do on social media during a legal trial.
January 20, 2022
Workers’ compensation claims are difficult but the right representation helps make everything make sense and can also get you better results. Bilal and Carmen discuss what are the benefits of hiring a workers’ comp attorney. They also share great tips and stories that can help you get the best outcome from your work injury.
December 21, 2021
Firefighters can be exposed to many dangerous situations throughout their work shifts. Bilal Kassem and Carmen Ramirez dive into a conversation about what benefits they are entitled to and what types of injuries he sees at the firm.
There are a few unique rules that apply only to first responders and firefighters and presumptions that are taken into consideration as well. Keep listening for more insights on this topic.
December 8, 2021
November 22, 2021
August 22, 2021
August 22, 2021
Recovering after a work injury can be hard. Sometimes, injured employee’s will be referred to chiropractic care in hopes to heal and get better. Some chiropractors will also provide QME services. QME stands for Qualified Medical Evaluations and they are very important in the workers’ comp system. These evaluations can either make or break a case.
June 22, 2021
June 2, 2021
Medical Treatment in Workers’ Compensation can be a total nightmare. Bilal Kassem explains what are some of the issues injured workers can encounter when seeking medical treatment within the CA Workers’ Compensation System. This is not a one size fits all type of scenario and every case is different. There will be cases that fly through the system without any halts and other cases that will lead to dead ends without legal representation.
May 2, 2021
Whether you are in the beginning stages of a workers’ comp claim or at the end of one, knowing the difference in settlements is a must.
That’s why we’re sitting down with CEO and Co-Founder of Pacific Workers’, Bilal Kassem to discuss in an in depth conversation about the different types of settlements in the CA Workers’ Comp System.
This is an episode you are definitely not going to want to skip.
March 2, 2021
Alex Neang from Union Local 300 the union for cement mason and plasterers joins Carmen Ramirez to discuss about the opportunities available for people wanting to change their life. As the Organizer and Compliance Officer he shares a few amazing tips of this incredible union. Some people are made for college and others are made for hands on projects. In this interview we discuss how someone can join the union and the benefits it has. They also discuss the importance of safety at work and how the union makes sure labor laws are in place to protect the workers.
November 2, 2020
Craig Shoemaker is a modern day renaissance man, with a show business career spanning over three decades as a stand up comedian, actor, author, writer and producer. He was named Comedian of the Year at The American Comedy Awards on ABC and garnered two NATAS Emmy awards. His 90 minute stand up special Daditude, aired prime time on SHOWTIME Network and was on the front page on Netflix for several months. “Shoe’s” stage, film and TV acting credits are extensive and wide ranging. Recently, he co-stars as Bandit in the critically acclaimed movie, Middle Man. He recurred as the character Wilson Gromling, the head of Pawnee’s Liberty or Die Party, on NBC’s Parks & Recreation, and had a five episode run on The Bold & The Beautiful.
October 22, 2020
We have heard about COVID-19 so many times, but what we have not heard is what the frontline doctors are experiencing first-hand with the patients. What exactly is the virus doing to the lungs? In this episode, Dr. Amy Ni a pulmonologist from the Bay Area shares an in-depth conversation of how Covid-19 is really changing everything they have ever known.
Dr. Ni graduated from the Penn State University Medical School in 2013. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at UC Irvine in 2016, and Pulmonary Critical Care fellowship from UCSF in 2019. Though she has lived in both the east coast and west coast, she is a die-hard Californian, and loves the diversity and beauty of the Bay Area. When she is not practicing medicine, she enjoys traveling to the far reaches of the world – recent excursions include Dubai, Kenya, and Morocco. She loves to spend her downtime relaxing with her boyfriend, her tripod cat, and eating at Michelin star restaurants.
October 8, 2020
Bernie J. Kempen is a Family Law Specialist Certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. He is an ardent and creative solver of family law problems. Bernie believes that to serve your best interest you must aggressively seek to settle your case out of court. He has a deeply held professional philosophy concerning each area of family law he practices. He personally explains his professional philosophy related to any particular circumstances when discussing a case. He speaks Afrikaans and English.
After being injured at work and under much stress, the bills pilling up, anxiety levels are high, marriages can come crumbling down. This topic is one that many hate to deal with but can also be the most important one to touch on.
September 25, 2020
As a coach he brings 25+ years of leadership experience to his practice when working with clients both individually and one on one. Although his focus Is on executive coaching and leadership training, Leland practices holistic coaching; looking at the whole person. His belief is that Leadership is about, mind, body and spirit. How you feed your mind, nourish the body and honor your spirit? Living his own philosophy each day Leland’s goal is to learn something new, eat to live (healthy eating) and contribute to something bigger than himself. One of his hobbies is acting and modeling. He is an avid runner and works out 4-6 days a week to honor his body temple.
August 20, 2020
Derreck Johnson, a son of Oakland, business owner and newcomer to Oakland politics as candidate of the 2020 Oakland City Council At Large discusses some of the issues in same question format as opponent Rebecca Kaplan.
As a business owner of The Home of Chicken and Waffles in Jack London Square, he shares his ideas and visions he has to move Oakland forward. Some of the topics discussed are housing issues, universal wages, Oakland police and more…
August 20, 2020
Derreck Johnson, a son of Oakland, business owner and newcomer to Oakland politics as candidate of the 2020 Oakland City Council At Large discusses some of the issues in same question format as opponent Rebecca Kaplan.
As a business owner of The Home of Chicken and Waffles in Jack London Square, he shares his ideas and visions he has to move Oakland forward. Some of the topics discussed are housing issues, universal wages, Oakland police and more…
August 13, 2020
Governor Newsom jumped quick into action to pass a bill that would help Essential Workers get Workers’ Comp benefits sooner, if they got infected with Covid. The bill has now expired and there are a lot of things that needed to get updated for it as well.
June 30, 2020
Healing takes courage and creativity, healing the mind can be dealing with Depression, Anxiety and finding a balance with support of a Therapist. When not taken care of, it can create a snowball effect that can lead to bigger problems. For over 14 years Therapist Maggie Insdorf talks about mental health and the stigma surrounding it.
June 12, 2020
With so much happening around Covid-19 and our world and the way we take care of business now. What does it look like for Workers Comp World? How much has changed? How does this affect clients? Let’s talk about the landscaping of Workers’ Comp.
April 27, 2020
April 20, 2020
Bilal Kassem, managing attorney at Pacific Workers’ talks about what happens after being terminated from employment. With COVID-19 recently spiking the number of unemployment applications many questions have come up in regard to workers comp benefits. We dive deep into scenarios where a company goes out of business and what happens next, who pays for the benefits, what happens to those who are on TTD and more.
