This informative legal briefing will enable you to confidently handle each step in a workers' compensation claim process, from case intake to post-resolution challenges, regardless of whether you represent the employer or the employee. Order today to gain the critical techniques needed to build a solid workers' compensation case!

1. Workers' Compensation Claims Procedures and Legislative Update
2. Ethical Hurdles of Workers' Compensation Practice
3. Build Your Case With Thorough Investigation
4. Determining Compensation and Managing your WC Case
5. Effective Methods for Claim Resolution
6. Post-Resolution Challenges

1. WORKERS' COMPENSATION GENERAL CLAIMS PROCEDURES AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
   9:00 - 9:45, Written by Daniel C. Pope Jr. Presented by Jay A. Gervasi Jr. in Greensboro and Daniel C. Pope Jr. in Raleigh.
   1. Employment Laws Governing Workers' Compensation
   2. General Workers' Compensation Claims Procedure Step-by-Step
   3. Case Law Update
   4. The Trend Towards Workers' Compensation Reform – What to Expect
2. OVERCOMING COMMON ETHICAL HURDLES FACED BY WORKERS' COMPENSATION ATTORNEYS
   9:45 - 10:45, Written and presented by Jay A. Gervasi Jr. in Greensboro. Presented by William J. Austin Jr. in Raleigh.
   1. Calculating Accurate Attorney's Fees
   2. Knowing If You Have a Conflict of Interest
   3. Proper Contact With Other Parties and Witnesses
   4. Drawing the Line - Communicating to Clients the Ethical Constraints Attorneys Work Under
   5. Handling the Psychological Pressure of Delays Humanely
   6. HIPAA Privacy Issues Regarding Medical Records
3. BUILDING YOUR CASE WITH THOROUGH INVESTIGATION
   11:00 - 12:00, Written by William J. Austin Jr. Presented by Shannon Warf Wilson in Greensboro and William J. Austin Jr. in Raleigh.
   1. Interviewing All Involved Parties and Witnesses
   2. How to Establish or Disprove the Claimant's Credibility and Why It's So Important
   3. Medical vs. Legal Standards of Causation
   4. Establishing Liability Factors
   5. What Role Does the Insurance Company Play?
4. DETERMINING COMPENSATION AND MANAGING YOUR WC CASE
   1:00 - 2:30, Written by Stephen Neal Camak. Presented by Shannon Warf Wilson in Greensboro and Stephen Neal Camak in Raleigh.
   1. Uncovering the Nature and Extent of Disability
      1. When and How to Use Independent Medical Examination (IME)
      2. Loss of Vocational Capacity
      3. Re-Injury or Aggravation of Pre-Existing Condition
      4. How to Handle Controversial Injuries and Diseases
   2. Benefits to Be Provided to the Employee
      1. Medical Expenses and Care
      2. Temporary Disability Payments
      3. Lost Wages
      4. Vocational Rehabilitation
   3. Employee Benefits That Are Affected by Workers' Compensation Settlements
   4. Unique Issues Relating to Fatality Claims
   5. Communication and Maintenance of Clients
      1. Ensure Realistic Expectations
      2. Prepare the Client to Testify
      3. Communicate the Progress in a Clear and Timely Manner
   6. Why Timing is Crucial in WC Cases
   7. Working with Medical Experts
      1. Select the Medical Expert Carefully – What to Look and Look Out For
      2. Make Sure the Medical Expert Has Both Sides of the Story
5. EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR CLAIM RESOLUTION
   2:45 - 3:45, Written by Stephen Neal Camak. Presented by Eleasa H. Allen in Greensboro and Stephen Neal Camak in Raleigh.
   1. Settlement Procedure in a Nutshell
   2. Employing the Best Settlement Strategies
   3. Considerations Involved in Employee's Return to Work
   4. Handling Medicare Issues During Settlements
   5. Effective Use of Mediation
   6. Hearings as an Option When Voluntary Settlement Cannot Be Reached
6. OVERCOMING POST-RESOLUTION CHALLENGES
   3:45 - 4:30, Written by Leto Copeley. Presented by Eleasa H. Allen in Greensboro and Leto Copeley in Raleigh.
   1. Appeals Procedure and Strategies
   2. What Is the Significance of Maximum Medical Improvement?
   3. Handling Third Party Claims That Arise Out of Work Injuries
   4. Workers' Compensation Effects on Social Security Benefits

ELEASA H. ALLEN is an associate at Robinson & Lawing, LLP, where her main areas of practice are workers' compensation and general civil litigation. She earned her B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. Ms. Allen is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the Forsyth County Bar Association (Young Lawyers Division).

JAY A. GERVASI JR. is a sole practitioner in Greensboro, North Carolina, where his areas of practice are workers' compensation and personal injury. He is board certified as a specialist in Workers' Compensation Law and is a member of the Board of Legal Specialization for the North Carolina State Bar. Mr. Gervasi earned his B.S. degree, cum laude, from Duke University and his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a member of the Greensboro Bar Association (Workers' Compensation Section), The North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and the North Carolina (Workers' Compensation Section) and American bar associations. Mr. Gervasi is admitted before North Carolina and South Carolina.

SHANNON WARF WILSON is a partner in the Winston-Salem law firm of Davis & Hamrick, L.L.P., where she practices primarily in the areas of workers' compensation and liability defense. An honors graduate of Davidson County Community College, Ms. Wilson earned her B.S. degree, cum laude, from Greensboro College and her J.D. degree from Campbell University School of Law. She is a member of the Forsyth County and North Carolina bar associations, the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the Defense Research Institute.

WILLIAM J. AUSTIN JR. is an attorney in the Raleigh office of Ward and Smith, P.A. His practice experience encompasses all aspects of the employment relationship. He has litigated employment and civil rights issues in federal and state courts. Mr. Austin also represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Employment Security Commission, federal and state wage and hour divisions, and the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He has been appointed as special counsel on issues dealing with workers' compensation in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Mr. Austin is a member of the American (member, State and Local Government Law) and North Carolina (member, sections on Labor Law, Litigation and Workers' Compensation) bar associations. He earned his M.A. degree from Duke University and his A.B. and J.D. degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

STEPHEN NEAL CAMAK is a partner with Lennon & Camak, PLLC, in Raleigh, North Carolina. His areas of practice include social security disability and personal injury. Mr. Camak earned his B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. He is admitted to the North Carolina State Bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of North Carolina, all state courts and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Mr. Camak is board-certified by the North Carolina Workers' Compensation and is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (Workers' Compensation and Disability Advocacy sections), the North Carolina Bar Association (Workers' Compensation Section), the North Carolina State and the Wake County bar associations, and the 10th Judicial District of North Carolina. He also is an approved lecturer by the North Carolina Department of Insurance Continuing Education.

LETO COPELEY is partner at Patterson Harkavy LLP, where she is a Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law. Her areas of practice include workers' compensation, personal injury, wrongful death and sex abuse/sexual harassment. Ms. Copeley graduated from Hunter College of the City University of New York, summa cum laude, and from Harvard Law School. She has served on the North Carolina Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Council, the Board of Directors of Farmworkers Legal Services, and as treasurer of Legal Aid of North Carolina, an agency delivering free legal services to low-income people statewide. Ms. Copeley has served as President of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys and as President of the Charlotte chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina. She is listed in the "Best Lawyers in America" in the area of workers' compensation. Ms. Copeley has been included in the list of "North Carolina Super Lawyers" published by Law and Politics Magazine. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Workers' Compensation Section of North Carolina Advocates for Justice and as a member of the Law Practice Management Section Council of the North Carolina Bar Association. Ms. Copeley is a member of the American Association for Justice, the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee, the Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group, the American Bar Association, and North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the North Carolina Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys.

DANIEL C. POPE JR. is a principal with the Raleigh law firm of Brooks, Stevens & Pope, P.A., where he practices exclusively in workers' compensation defense. Mr. Pope has lectured previously for the North Carolina Bar Foundation and National Business Institute on workers' compensation and related issues. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation by the North Carolina State Bar. Mr. Pope earned his B.A. degree from North Carolina State University and his J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. He served as a law clerk to the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Mr. Pope is a member of the Wake County and North Carolina bar associations, as well as the North Carolina State Bar.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com