MTA2 MTA2 Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

how come? how many applicant attnys have you had or better yet how many claims have you filed? or better yet, how many settlements have you lived off of?

Anonymous Nov 21, 2016 a 6:49 pm PST

reply to "MTA2" I do not understand your questions MTA2 or why you would ask them. How many claims have I filed? I have had one work related injury. How many settlements have I lived off of? Zero. I have left my medical open and have not received any settlement. I did receive a very small amount of PD equivalent to what I would have earned in two months while working.To answer how come I commented Knox Ricksen among the most kind, ethical group of attorney's is due to my personal experience with them. By the way MTA2, I wrote Knox Ricksen "is among the most kind, ethical group of attorney's I have come across". I did not state they were the ONLY ethical attorney's I have come across. I have also had a few good applicant attorney's, and have also come across one defense attorney in my claim that I respect. I guess I have been lucky in that regard.

Anonymous Nov 21, 2016 a 6:49 pm PST

MTA2 you may have misunderstood my comment. I was giving my support to Knox Ricksen.

Jeff Grunfeld Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

I didn't realize that the integrity of Defense is determined by them having fewer violations than applicant attorneys ("the number on the Applicant side far surpasses the number on the defense side"). By that leap of legal logic, the murderer of one man is less guilty than the murderer of two men. Perhaps, Applicant Attorneys don't have the inclination nor the deep pockets to go after Def Attys while Defense IS paid to delay just and fair compensation for services of Medical Providers. Applicants on the other hand get paid for results. So lets not pretend that Defense is angelic and noble while Applicant are from the Dark Side. I was raised to believe that a lie is a lie. And now, Knox Ricksen can have their day in court as well.

Jason Bernard Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

Defense, I searched in the news archives for "physician convicted" and couldnt find a single article from within California indicating that a physician was SUCCESFULLY convicted on fraud charges. Drug charges yes, fraud charges no. Perhaps you are right though. Maybe the names of all these convicted applicant physicians are escaping me. I don't seem to recall them. Perhaps also, WCC removed the articles from their archives. However when I search for "adjusters convicted" 2 articles in California appeared. As recent as 2010 adjusters convicted for fraud. In fact years ago, insurance Commissioner John Garamendi held a press conference when dr Golipath was arrested for double billing and fraudently billing comp carriers. The press was invited to this show and news cameras were present. Garamendi was touting that this arrest "is warning to all other con artists." Dr Golipath was the big fish in a fraud scheme that bilked millions from the system, all done fraudently. Well guess what, Golipath was innocent and all charges dropped. But guess what else? His name was ruined, he moved to Oklahoma as it was difficult for him to get any business in California. And this was an innocent man. The carriers got what they wanted. They put him out of business. And it essentially cost them nothing to do it. Except the $1.5MM they funded to the insurance commissioner's office. Still less than the millions they owed to add Golipath. http://articles.latimes.com/1994-03-23/business/fi-37433_1_santa-ana Today the same thing is happening. Carriers need to clear millions from their books in unpaid claims. How do you do that? Either pay the millions that you owe to the physician or spend thousands making allegations that essentially drive the physicians bills down to $0. Insurance organizations fund the district attorney, so they convince them that fraud is involved and the OCDA raids the physician. The battle drags on for 5 years and the physicians practice is suffocating. By the time they are found innocent the mission was accomplished. The carrier saved millions and the physician is e hayseed, defeated and FLAT BROKE. It's DISGUSTING. The American dream. Own a business. Own a home. Just don't do It in California. As for these alleged unethical practices done by a few at Knox Ricksen, if true, these people should see the harshest of penalties. . Physicians abide by Hippocratic oath to do no harm. Attorneys abide by similar codes of ethics. Break these sacred oaths and you don't deserve to practice.

Anonymous Nov 21, 2016 a 6:49 pm PST

Randy Collins you are stating insurance companies are going after doctors without cause? Anyone can look at the FDA website and it is public knowledge counterfeit non FDA implants were found. Who do you think was going to implant those counterfeit implants? Interesting to read arguments about who is more criminal those on the applicant side or the defense. I am sure if you asked a patient who is suffering the results from having fake spinal hardware implanted in them, and the fear of what will result from it in their future, there is no competition.

Scott Goldflam Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

When I was a paralegal at a large app atty firm I would hear my boss yell at doctors on his speaker phone demanding they "revise" their report. The "modified" report was then served on the parties. This practice may have increased the value of app's case but at the cost of their livelihood because when employers couldn't accommodate the work restrictions, app would be terminated. That's when the 132a got filed.

Alexander Zaks Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

Alexander Zaks Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

Jason Bernard Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

Defense,,, be consistent with your thoughts and comments. In your comment you Created a scenario that Knox Ricksen were to one day be found not guilty. You wrote that "...they should receive an apology from everyone who posted on this site to suggest that they are already guilty. And Reyes & Barsoum should also be subject to a major slander lawsuit."...... Careful what you wish for. If apologies were to go around for every physician accused of being fraud only to be found innocent or charges dropped, then we would be reading pages upon pages of apologies and retractions. Pull up any article about implants, DME, chiro or MRI and you will read a dozen or more comments suggesting they are all already guilty of fraud. Line up the apology line. In addition, if Reyes and Barsoum should be subject to "a major slander lawsuit," then imagine the wrath that will come down on all of us for slamming the physicians that used the "fake" hardware. If Reyes & Barsoum should be subject to slander, then so will be many of us that opine in these comments. Probably including you. As for future endeavors, I do trust that someone on your side IS investigating. I got a phone call from a patient a few weeks that he came home to an investigator sifting through his trash cans. Apparently looking for bottles of medications.

Barbara Ramiller Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

Can we just agree that the answer to "what do you call 50 attorneys at the bottom of the ocean?" should be "A Good Start"

Anonymous Nov 3, 2016 a 2:58 pm PDT

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's really a pigeon in drag!