Ohio Supreme Court recently issued its decision in the McFee case. Essentially the Court now allows Ohio employers to eliminate pregnancy leave for employees who do not have a certain amount of employment time with the company.
Help restore the rights taken away from Ohio’s workforce. Employment rights dwindle, Workers’ Compensation benefits reduced, and the list goes on.
Vote Brown and Trapp for the Ohio Supreme Court in November, 2010.
© 2010, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
Although the BWC system was created to allow injured workers to request coverage for work injuries without the need of legal services, the system has become a nightmare of red tape and denials.
Over 90% of the hearings we attend on behalf of our clients result from the BWC denying the injured worker’s doctor;s request for treatment authorization.
If you are injured on the job, you should obtain legal representation to protect your legal right to medical care and injury compensation.
Contact us anytime for a no obligation consultation regarding your injury claim.
Contact the governor of Ohio and tell him to fix the system that was created to protect Ohio’s injured workers. He needs to replace the current BWC Administrator with one who did not come from the insurance industry where the top goal is to save money and increase premiums.
Ohio Workers need to unite and tell the Governor that Ohio Wokrers’ Compensation needs to be fixed NOW to benefit Ohio’s Injured Work Force.
Contact the Governor NOW! Let him know you are not going to let him continue in office until he repairs the system he pledged to fix when he first ran for office.
© 2010, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
Recently, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a police officer’s unaided visual estimation of a vehicle’s speed is sufficient to support a conviction for speeding. Read the rest of this entry »
© 2010, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
What does it mean to have a document “notarized”?
Having a document notarized means that the signer swears or affirms that the document he/she has signed is true and correct. The person who notarizes a legal document is called a “notary public.”
A Notary acts as an official and unbiased witness to the identity of the person who signs the document. The notary uses a special “seal” or stamp, which verifies the validity of the signature and helps to prevent fraud and forgery.
What does a notary do?
A notary public is a person who has been authorized to administer oaths throughout the state. The notary can take and certify acknowledgments of such legal instruments as deeds, mortgages, liens, affidavits, and powers of attorney. The notary may take and certify depositions for use in court.
If I wanted to become a notary, what would I have to do?
If you are an Ohio citizen over 18 years of age and are qualified to vote, you can become a notary public by taking an examination at the Notary Commission in your county court of common pleas. Assuming you meet these qualifications, you will be given an appointment by the governor to serve as a notary public. Documentation verifying your appointment is then filed with the county clerk of court, and your certification is valid for five years.
All I want is for the notary public to notarize my title transfer; why won’t he do that?
The state government appoints the notary public to ensure that documents are valid. You must sign documents such as title transfers for automobiles and affidavits in front of the notary, or you must personally tell the notary that you have signed. If a notary refuses to notarize your document, it is likely to be because you have not met this requirement. Buyers of automobiles sometimes will take an automobile title to a notary and ask the notary sign to off on the transfer, despite the seller’s absence. The notary is not permitted to do this, and should always refuse such a request. Also, the notary must refuse to notarize any document that is not complete or contains blank lines, or a document that the notary has not witnessed or acknowledged.
That sounds inconvenient. Wouldn’t it be easier for the car dealer just to tell the notary that the seller has signed?
It might be easier if document signers did not have to personally appear, but the law requires exactly that. In a recent criminal case, a notary was charged with not requiring the signers to appear, and as a result criminals were able to steal and sell the homes of victims by using notarized powers of attorney. The same can happen to automobiles; if the seller does not personally appear in front of the notary, there can be no certainty that the automobile is not stolen property. The seller must be able to prove his or her identity, usually by producing a valid driver’s license or state ID.
Can I just write legal documents myself rather than paying for an attorney, and then ask a notary to authenticate them?
While it is generally wise to rely on an attorney who understands the law to draft legal documents for you, you can choose to draft essential documents yourself and ask a notary public to authenticate them. Such essential documents may include wills, deeds, powers-of-attorney, affidavits, acknowledgements, and protests. If you’ve made a mistake in a document, however, the notary cannot be held liable unless you did not actually appear to swear to the truth of the documents. You should always use the services of an attorney to draft legal documents.
Where can I get information about becoming a notary?
The Ohio Secretary of State’s office provides information, including county contact information, through its Web site at http://www.sos.state.oh.us/Notary/NotaryFAQs.aspx.
© 2010, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
Information received indicates that, effective 1-1-2010, the Ohio BWC will impose NEW rules regarding BWC settlement offers: Read the rest of this entry »
© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
If you have an Ohio BWC claim, you have to get your medical treatment from a Certified Ohio BWC medical Provider. If your provider is not BWC certified, the bills do not have to be paid by the BWC. So, what do you do?
© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
With the change in the ADR Process, does the rule still apply that if the MOC does not respond to a C-9 within 10 days the service is approved?
Answer: NO. Now the MCO Policy Reference Guide says:
A medical service request will be considered approved and the provider may initiate treatments when all of these criteria are met:
(1) The MCO fails to communicate a decision to the physician within three business days of receipt of an original medical services request or five business days if the request was pended;
(2) The physician has documented the medical services request completely and correctly on a C-9 or other acceptable document;
(3) The physician has proof of submission to the appropriate MCO;
(4) Medical services are for the allowed conditions;
(5) The claim is in a payable status.
In instances when a C-9 is not responded to within three business days and the provider initiates treatment, the MCO will provide concurrent and retrospective review of that treatment. If it is found before, after or during delivery, that any treatment, approved or not approved within three business days, is not medically indicated or necessary, not producing the desired outcomes, or patient is not responding, the MCO will notify the parties of the decision to discontinue payment of said treatment. Only charges for treatments already rendered will be paid. If the provider, IW or employer wish to dispute the decision, they may do so via the ADR process. The MCO shall obtain beginning and estimated ending dates for inpatient services if not provided on the request for medical services.
Previously, if services were approved, they were not subject to change. Now, approvals can be rescinded at any time.
In this ‘new’ era of Ohio BWC Policy, you need an attorney to represent your interests more than ever !
© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
Hi all:
Please accept my apologies for the lack of posts over the past 2+ weeks, however we were busy preparing for an upcoming trial.
Now that the trial pressure is over, I will figure out what to post over the next few days. If anyone has a question about Ohio work injuries or the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, please drop a post and we will be happy to respond.
Thanks to all who are members and those who just pass through. Happy holidays to all.
Mike Gruhin
© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio Governor Ted Strickland called for a thorough assessment and broad reforms of how the state prevents and punishes domestic violence.
© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Senate Democrats have introduced a bill to increase protections for Ohio workers against wage theft by allowing the Commerce Department to investigate and take action on individual complaints up to $100,000.
© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.