Representing Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Districts before the Workers’ Compensation Board involves more than handling a hearing. Our firm routinely reviews pending bills before the legislature, newly enacted laws, and case law in all matters relating to the defense of volunteer firefighter and ambulance workers claims.
While volunteer claims are administered before the Workers’ Compensation Board, very few attorneys and judges will immediately recognize the difference in the benefits and defense of a volunteer claim versus an employment claim. Our five decades of experience in representing volunteer fire and ambulance Districts, together with their carriers, has provided us with extensive knowledge and has earned our firm a reputation before the board and the bar as leaders in this field.
We will conference with clients immediately after the reporting of any injury to prepare a strategy in regarding to determining those cases that warrant consideration for controversy, and those claims that may be accepted. Our firm will assist the employer in identifying those witnesses that may be key to prevailing in any controversial cases. For accepted claims, we will advise on those defenses available to the employer in mitigating damages and expenses. As part of this representation, we work closely with the Special Investigation Units of our clients to provide the necessary defense to administer their claims.
In regard to our defense of volunteer matters before the Workers’ Compensation Board, we will conference a case before and after a hearing with the claims adjuster on an as-needed basis. Upcoming hearings involving testimony will be conference with the witnesses prior to the trial hearing. At the conclusion of each hearing, we will return your file promptly together with our memorandum of hearing. The memorandum will consist of a concise report as to what transpired at the hearing, as well as our proposed strategy for the future claims handling of each file.
Our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers non-hearing practice includes the preparation of memoranda of law, memoranda of opinion, status letters, win/loss evaluations, trial memoranda, Section 32 agreements, and the preparation of any and all correspondence in regard to the preparation and prosecution of a claim before the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. We will work with our clients in identifying the potential cost of a claim, including an analysis of its settlement value. Our staff is dedicated to analyzing the interplay of Medicare, and the use of set asides as it relates to any potential Section 32 (final) settlement. |