February 2018 Newsletter
Seminar
You're  Invited!  On May 10, 2018, Pollart Miller's Annual Workers' Compensation Seminar will be held in downtown Denver and we are excited to present our Keynote Speaker, Erin Brockovich.   We emailed your invitation earlier this month, but if you have not received your invitation, please let us know by emailing  seminar@pollartmiller.com. .....

If you'd like more information or to register for the seminar, please visit www.pollartmiller.com/seminar/

Note space is limited for this event, so register early to ensure your spot.
Webinars
Pollart Miller LLC will be hosting a webinar on March 20, 2017 at 12:00 PM MDT entitled  Affirmative Defenses and Offsets: Reducing Liability on Claims  presented by  Amanda J. Branson
 
To register, click here:
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.  
April's webinar will be entitled Reducing Temporary Disability Benefits with Rule 6 and the 24 month DIME presented by
R. Jake Johnson, Jessica L. Grimes and Joelle D. Levit

After Montoya, a Claimant needs to show either  "medical incapacity" or "loss of wage earnings" to be entitled to TPD benefits, not both. [more]


MMI and Relatedness Determination of Division IME will be upheld unless clearly wrong and Panel defers to findings of the ALJ [more]

Claimant sustained an injury to her left arm in 2014 and developed pain in her chest and shoulder. [more]


ALJ may credit one medical opinion over another and determination will not be disturbed on appeal unless an abuse of discretion [more]
Winner's Circle




Brad Miller and Christopher Gray recently prevailed on a compensability claim in Colorado.  The claimant argued that she injured her low back lifting car batteries at work.  Respondents denied the claim even though there was evidence on a MRI Scan that claimant had recently suffered an acute disc herniation. [more]


Pollart Miller partner Christin Bechmann recently secured an order at hearing denying implantation of a spinal cord stimulator (SCS). [more]

In a claim successfully handled  by Pollart Miller's R. Jake Johnson, the Court of Appeals affirmed the ICAO's decision upholding the ALJ's denial of permanent partial disability (PPD) and penalties. [more]


Our own Brad Miller obtained an order requiring a claimant to repay over $97,000 in temporary total disability (TTD).   Here, Claimant sustained an admitted injury for which TTD was paid by Respondents for a period of several years.  A Division IME later determined Claimant reached MMI just over a month after the initial injury and issued a 0% rating. [more]
Associate Watch
Spotlight on: 

Christopher Gray is a native of North Carolina, growing up in Charlotte and spending his most memorable time living in the "Triangle" of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Chris spent most of his grade school years balancing academics with his primary pastime of guitar playing, sparked by his older sister's collection of albums from the 60's and 70's. Chris continued to play music through college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied Philosophy and developed a zeal for college basketball. During school and after graduation, Chris worked in hospitality and played shows locally and regionally with area bands.
 
Chris moved to Denver in 2008 to be closer to family. He worked as a telecom professional scheduling and coordinating video-on-demand assets for an international satellite television provider. While engaged in special projects with attorneys there, Chris decided to pursue a career in law, and enrolled in the University of Colorado School of Law. He began his legal career as a judicial clerk in Denver District Court. After the clerkship, Chris wanted to gain the experience that a career in workers' compensation defense provided, and happily joined the Pollart Miller team.
 
Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time in downtown Denver and the mountains with his partner (and fellow attorney) Margaret and their French Bulldog, Babar. Chris and Margaret enjoy the friendship of fellow musicians and meet up to play whenever they can.
Monthly Employment Law Tip

The Colorado Wage Transparency Act, prohibits an employer from taking adverse actions against employees who discuss their wages with others.   [more]

Monthly Family Law Update

In case you missed it, January 26, 2018 was National Spouses Day.  Not to rain on the celebration but according to the National Center for Health Statistics, Colorado ranks #10 in the top states where couples are likely to get divorced  [more]
Monthly Criminal Law Update

A number of new criminal laws went into effect in Colorado on January 1, 2018, regarding a myriad of issues.  Here are a few of the recent changes in Colorado [more]
Quick Links
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