Ten Secrets of Colorado  Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability

We reveal 10 misconceptions and secrets about Colorado Worker's Compensation and Social Security law that the government and insurance companies do not want you to know.

#1:     There are a lot of people defrauding "the system."

Secret:    Most injured and disabled people are not "faking it." There are very few people who actually defraud the system. In representing thousands of clients over the years, we have come across only a small handful of people who did not have legitimate claims. The rest are truly injured and disabled persons just like you.

#2:     I can handle my own case, how hard can it be?

Secret:    The Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation, Social Security and the Insurance Companies would like to convince all claimants that they do not need an attorney. While some people have been successful at handling their own cases, we have also seen many people lose benefits or be denied altogether because they handled their case themselves. You should seek the advice of an attorney who specializes in injury and disability law. Law is not a do-it-yourself project. By the time a case that has been mishandled gets to an attorney, we are not always able to fix the problem. 

See: Do I Need A Lawyer? If you call us or fill out our on-line form and set up an appointment for a free consultation, we can explain in detail the specific benefits to which you will be entitled.

#3:    The Insurance Company or Social Security Administration is there to help me.

Secret:    The Insurance Company exists for only one reason: to make money. All the heart-warming commercials in the world will not change that fact. It is true that Social Security was designed to help people in need. However, during the past two decades, Social Security has systematically made it difficult for truly disabled people to get benefits. 

Whether you have a claim for Workers' Compensation or Social Security, you need someone on your side fighting for what you deserve. If you call us or fill out our on-line form and set up an appointment for a free consultation, we can explain in detail the specific benefits to which you will be entitled.

#4:    The doctor that the Insurance Company/Social Security sent me to see says there is nothing wrong with me. Is it all in my head?

Secret:    It is not surprising that the doctor hired by the Insurance Company or Social Security says there is nothing wrong with you. These doctors are hired to give an opinion and they know who is paying for that opinion. If you felt that there was something wrong with you before you saw that doctor, then chances are that there is really a problem or condition that you have. Do not let the Insurance Company or Social Security bully you into thinking that there is nothing wrong with you. 

An experienced attorney will know how to best handle an unfavorable medical opinion. Instead of giving up based on what this doctor said, you should contact an attorney who will get you the medical treatment you genuinely need. If you call us or fill out our on-line form and set up an appointment for a free consultation, we can explain in detail the medical benefits to which you will be entitled.
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#5:    There are too many people getting benefits based on mental problems. These people can work, they are just weak-minded.

Secret:    When it comes to disability, looks can be very deceiving. There are many people who look quite healthy but who are disabled. For instance, many individuals who suffer from very severe psychiatric illness are physically healthy and able to do things such as mow their yards, but they cannot function in the workplace. Just because someone does not look disabled does not mean that they are not disabled.
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#6:    The Insurance Company/Social Security denied me. I guess I am really not injured/disabled.

Secret:   Although the insurance companies and Social Security Administration are supposed to be there to help people when they become injured or disabled, the reality is that they deny millions of people each year who are entitled to benefits. Attorneys who practice law in these areas would have no law to practice if insurance companies and Social Security paid benefits when they should. Getting a denial is discouraging, but you should not give up! 

If you call us or fill out our on-line form and set up an appointment for a free consultation, we can discuss the specifics of your case.
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#7:    I cannot afford an attorney, and besides, I will get more money if I handle my case myself.

Secret:   This is exactly what the government and insurance companies want you to believe. In most injury and disability cases, attorneys take your case on a "contingency basis." This means that the attorney does not receive a fee unless they get benefits for you. Our experience has been that most Workers' Compensation claimants get more money out of their case when an attorney is involved. The Insurance Company knows that someone is looking over their shoulder, someone who is intimately familiar with the law and the tricks the insurance companies try to pull. Social Security cases are much more likely to result in benefits for the claimant when an attorney handles the case. Social Security law is complex, and proving a disability case is not easy work. 

Put your case in the hands of a competent, compassionate professional, and you will be more likely to be successful in or out of court. If you call us or fill out our on-line form and set up an appointment for a free initial consultation, we can explain how we can help you.
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#8:    The fact that I cannot return to my previous employment means that I am entitled to benefits.

Secret:   In Personal Injury cases, you may receive compensation for if you cannot go back to your line of work. But in Workers' Compensation and Social Security cases, an inability to return to your previous employment does not entitle you to benefits. Workers' Compensation claimants at one time could get additional money or retraining because they could not return to their past work due to their injury. However, the powerful insurance lobby in Colorado got the legislature to change the laws so that this is no longer true. In Colorado, if you are not able to return to your previous employment, your insurance company does not care, and is not going to do anything about it. As far as Social Security is concerned, the fact that you cannot return to your past work is not completely irrelevant. You must be able to show that you cannot do any type of work, no matter how menial.
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#9:    People who are injured or disabled get a lot of money, like that woman who was burned by the McDonald's^® coffee and received millions.

Secret:   The reason that particular case generated such a huge judgment was because McDonald's^® was involved. McDonald's^® is a large corporation. A small monetary judgment would have had no impact on McDonald's^®. Therefore, in that particular case, a judgment of that size was necessary to punish such a large corporation. If a small business had caused the same injury, the judgment would have been much smaller, due to the limited financial resources of the business being sued. In Personal Injury cases, who is being sued is a factor in how much money will be awarded.

Colorado Workers' Compensation functions very differently from Personal Injury law. The insurance companies and many employers have lobbied the state government to severely limit the amounts paid to injured employees.
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#10:    I am injured/disabled far worse than the woman who was burned by the coffee. I should get a lot of money for my case.

Secret:   The media blitz surrounding cases such as this one gives many people the wrong impression of injury and disability cases. As we mentioned above, the reason that person received such a large judgment was because of the fact that a huge corporation was being sued. Most Personal Injury cases do not receive multi-million dollar judgments. In Colorado, there are laws that limit the amount of money that can be awarded in a Personal Injury case. There are also laws that significantly limit the amount of money you can receive in a Workers' Compensation case.  Social Security benefits are tied to how much you have earned and paid in Social Security taxes. You will not get rich from a Social Security or Colorado Workers' Compensation claim. But if you call us or fill out our on-line form and set up an appointment for a free consultation, we can explain in detail the specific benefits to which you will be entitled.
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