March 24, 2022

Episode 34

Ultimate Guide to Utilization and Independent Medical Reviews

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Episode 34 - Ultimate Guide to Utilization and Independent Medical Reviews

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One of the most complicated parts of a workers’ comp claim and the topic that is least discussed about is Utilization Reviews (UR) and Independent Medical Reviews (IMR). Injured workers’ often just get a No for an answer when seeking back surgery or other types of benefits, there is never an explanation behind the answer no.

Going through the medical treatment process is the CA Workers’ Comp is not as easy as going to your medical doctor for a non related work injury. Bilal Kassem and Carmen Ramirez discuss what a UR and IMR is and what is the good and the bad from them.

After listening to this podcast, you will have a better understanding of how to navigate these complex situations within a workers’ comp claim.

EPISODES

March 24, 2022

Episode 33 - Contractors and Workers' Comp

There are many times when injured workers are denied workers’ compensation benefits. The denial may be due to a misclassification. Employers like to save money and try to consider their employees as contractors or independent contractors, when in reality they’re not.

Bilal Kassem and Carmen Ramirez, help injured workers understand the difference of these classifications and guide you with great tips to manage a workers’ comp claim under these circumstances.

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March 7, 2022

Episode 32 - Advocating for Human Rights | Eric Farber and Tommy Lee

30.8% of the population in Latin America lived below the poverty line in 2019, with 11.5% living in extreme poverty. Join us in this in depth discussion with Tommy Lee from the Comisión Latino Americana De Derechos Humanos in Medellín, Colombia.

Pacific Workers’ very own Founder, Eric Farber has also joined the organization. The ultimate goal is to continue to help others regardless of their nationalities and where they live. From helping Famous Athletes, Injured Workers’ in the communities to now Latin American’s Human Rights.

The mission is simple, to provide legal advice and promote, protection and vindication of Human Rights; Constitutional Guarantees; consolidation and strengthening of participatory and inclusive democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean; and, exercise Social Control in Public Management, and be protected by the “Declaration on Human Rights Defenders”.

It’s never too late to make a difference around the world, our time is now. Learn how you can also be a part of this difference.

To learn more about the Comisión Latino Americana de Derechos Humanos visit www.cldhu.org

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March 7, 2022

Episode 31 - The Story of Mark Hawke

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.

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February 14, 2022

Episode 30 - Death Benefits in Workers' Comp

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.

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February 14, 2022

Episode 29 - Permanent Disability in Workers' Comp

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.

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January 20, 2022

Episode 28 - Social Media Dangers in Workers' Comp

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.

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January 20, 2022

Episode 27 - Why You Should Hire a Workers' Comp Attorney!

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.

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December 21, 2021

Episode 26 - Workers' Compensation for Firefighters

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.

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December 8, 2021

Episode 25 - Personal Injury VS Workers' Comp

There are many situations when personal injury lawyers work together with a workers’ comp lawyer for the same case. Bilal and Carmen share important information on this episode that sheds light on what you need to keep in mind if you have an injury that ties both of these terms together. There are some exceptions on some cases where you can’t get both personal injury and workers’ comp benefits.
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November 22, 2021

Episode 24 - Dealing with Workers' Comp Claim Adjusters

There are so many parties involved in a workers’ comp case and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of who does what. Bilal and Carmen dive deep into the role of a claims adjuster within a workers’ comp case. Learn what are some of the things that you should share and what you should not.
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August 22, 2021

Episode 23 - The Story of Donny Mozzetti

Donny Mozzetti was born and raised in the city of San Francisco, CA. Always athletic and into sports growing up, he joined the competitive cheerleading team in High School. After graduation, Donny followed his passion in what turned out to be a 20+ year career as a Coach in Cheer and Tumbling. It was in this job field that Donny got his first work injury, second injury and led him to where he is at now.
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August 22, 2021

Episode 22 - The Secrets To A Successful QME Appointment

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.

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June 22, 2021

Episode 21 - What is a Deposition in Workers' Compensation?

If you’re nervous for your deposition in your Workers’ Compensation case, you’re not alone. This process can be one of the most intimidating parts of the Workers’ Compensation system. It puts you face-to-face with the insurance company’s defense attorney and an official court stenographer. However, as long as you’re properly prepared, there’s no reason to be afraid. We have summed up what you need to know about depositions and what you can expect.
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SEASON 2 Podcasts

June 2, 2021

Episode 10 - Bilal Kassem - Medical Treatments in Workers' Comp

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.

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May 2, 2021

Episode 9 - Bilal Kassem - CA Workers' Comp Settlements.

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.

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March 2, 2021

Episode 8 - Alex Neang - Northern CA Cement Mason and Plasterer’s Union OPCMIA LOCAL 300

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.

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November 2, 2020

Episode 7 - Craig Shoemaker- Laughter Heals

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.

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October 22, 2020

Episode 6 - Dr. Amy Ni - COVID-19 through the eyes of the frontline doctors

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.

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October 8, 2020

Episode 5 - Bernie J. Kempen - Getting a Settlement While Divorcing

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.

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September 25, 2020

Episode 4 - Leland Thompson - Skills Needed to Succeed in Life

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.

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August 20, 2020

Episode 3 - A Conversation with Rebecca Kaplan, the incumbent and President of the Oakland City Council

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…

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Derreck

August 20, 2020

Episode 2 - A Conversation with Derreck Johnson, Candidate for Oakland City Council 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…

eric-carmen

August 13, 2020

Special Episode - Carmen Ramirez & Eric Farber - Covid Update for Essential Workers and more

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.

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SEASON 1 Podcasts

maggie

June  30, 2020

Episode 10 - Maggie Insdorf - Good Mental Health Is Good Health

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.

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June  12, 2020

Episode 9 - How Much Has Changed in the World of Workers' Comp

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.

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April 27, 2020

Episode 8 - Getting to Know the Firefighters in our Community

Zac is an Author of two books: Working Fire and Never Look A Polar Bear In The Eye. Widely published in magazines and newspapers, including: The Economist, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Men’s Journal, Canadian Geographic, Slate Magazine, and many others, including in-flight magazines and trade publications. He is a lifelong Oaklander, lives with his wife and three kids.
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April 20, 2020

Episode 7 - Can I get Workers’ Compensation After Termination of Employment?

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.

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