Today’s Quote of the Day from Callagy Law!
Callagy Law Quote of the Day #Attorney, #BusinessAttorney, #Callagy, #Callagylaw, #Lawyer, #Legal, #LegalAdvice
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Callagy Law Quote of the Day #Attorney, #BusinessAttorney, #Callagy, #Callagylaw, #Lawyer, #Legal, #LegalAdvice
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Today’s Quote of the Day from Callagy Law!
Callagy Law Quote of the Day #Attorney, #Business, #BusinessCoaching, #BusinessMastery, #BusinessMasteryClub, #BusinessTraining, #Lawyer, #Legal, #SeanCallagy
Monday, December 29, 2014
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Please enjoy Callagy Law’s Quote of the Day! #callagylaw #callagyquotes #callagyspeaks
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Friday, December 26, 2014
YOU BETTER WORK OR ELSE
YOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSEYOU BETTER WORK OR ELSE
YOU BETTER WORK OR ELSE
Two Dollar Bills
Two Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar BillsTwo Dollar Bills
Two Dollar Bills
TEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECT
TEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECTTEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECT
TEST 2, FIRE FOR EFFECT
THIS IS A TEST POST
modo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Aenean leo ligula, porttitor eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim. Aliquam lorem ante, dapibus in, viverra quis, feugiat a, tellus. Phasellus viverra nulla ut metus varius laoreet. Quisque rutrum. Aenean imperdiet. Etiam ultricies nisi vel augue. Curabitur ullamcorper ultricies nisi. Nam eget dui. Etiam rhoncus. Maecenas tempus, tellus eget condimentum rhoncus, sem quam semper libero, sit amet adipiscing sem neque sed ipsum. Nam quam nunc, blandit vel, luctus pulvinar, hendrerit id, lorem. Maecenas nec
THIS IS A TEST POST
Callagy Law: What to Do If You Get Pulled Over By the Police, Part 3
This blog is the
third and final part of this three-part series; What to Do if You Get Pulled Over
by the Police. Part 1 described the
approach of one brother, The Rebel. We
saw how his approach was a formula for receiving the maximum penalty from the police when
stopped. Part 2 described a second approach;
employed by the brother we call The Comic.
His approach is fun and entertaining, and could succeed fairly often in
avoiding a ticket, but would most likely elicit more laughter than leniency.
The third brother took a third approach. We shall call him The Apologist. Whenever this brother would get into trouble,
he would readily admit his wrongdoing, and apologize for getting out of control
or not listening. He would explain his
temporary lack of adherence to the rules as a strange, inexplicable anomaly,
completely out of character, but an anomaly for which he and he alone was
responsible. He had no excuse. He was sorry, and could only explain it as a
loose moment.
And so, later, when stopped by the police, he would readily
agree with the officer that the officer’s perspective was indeed the correct
one. He was guilty of making the illegal
turn, but realized it a bit too late and could not avoid it by then, or he
was thinking about some problems at home and therefore did not realize how fast
he was going, but must have been speeding, since the officer stopped him, or he
had the taillight fixed several times, but there must be some sort of
electrical short his mechanic is just unable to trace, and he now knows he
needs to bring the car to the dealership where he purchased the car. None of these are “lies,” but are
understandable explications of otherwise inexplicable anomalies.
One time he made a left-hand turn after coming to a stop at
a red light. It was late, with no one on
the road, so he made the left while the light was still red, and was very soon
pulled over. He apologized to the
officer and explained how tired he was from a very difficult week at work. He understands he deserves the ticket, but
wants the officer to know he was just trying to arrive home safely.
While none of the three approaches can be a guarantee for
receiving leniency when stopped by the police, surely the approach of The Rebel
is the least likely to be affective, and the approach of The Comic is better
than The Rebel’s technique but still not the best. The Apologist seems to employ the approach
most likely to be met with leniency. It
is respectful and non-confrontational, empathetic to the inconvenience caused
to the police officer, and maturely assumes responsibility for an act of
personal misbehavior.
Whichever approach you choose good luck.
Original Post: http://callagylaw.com/callagy-law-get-pulled-police-part-3/
Callagy Law: What to Do If You Get Pulled Over by the Police, Part 2
This blog is the
second of three parts, because, as I mentioned in Part 1, it is a story about
three different strategies for dealing with being pulled over by the police,
and a story about three brothers and the differences in their attitudes. Part 1 described the approach of the first
brother, whom we will call The Rebel. We
saw how his approach was a formula for receiving the maximum penalty from the
police when stopped, and perhaps even some punishment beyond the maximum. It is the best approach for eliciting the
least amount of sympathy, understanding or forgiveness from the
authorities. This Part describes an approach
that is entirely different.
The second brother, whom we will call The Comic, from very
young, would approach authority figures as if they were his audience. In high school, we were not permitted to call
our teachers by their first names, and there was one teacher named Tom who was
particularly sensitive about this. So,
this brother would have someone named Tom, namely me, go down the hallway and
stand behind Tom the teacher. Once
everyone was in position, he would yell “Hey, Tom,” as loudly as he could in
the direction of the teacher. When the
teacher would react, readying to send him to the office, The Comic would say,
“What’s the problem, I was calling my brother; I need to tell him something.” Of course, there was little the teacher could
do, and in fact the teacher would crack a small, reluctant smile.
Later, The Comic was stopped by a police officer because his
inspection sticker
was expired. In fact, it expired more
than a year before he was stopped. When
the police officer explained why he was pulled over, The Comic said, with
tremendous aplomb, “I know, officer, I have been very busy lately.” When the officer responded, “It is a whole
year your inspection is overdue,” The Comic said, “Oh my goodness, you see how
quickly time flies when you are busy!”
He still received a ticket, but maybe, just maybe, for an
instant, the officer considered letting him go, and perhaps with another
officer it might have even worked.
Original Post: http://callagylaw.com/callagy-law-get-pulled-police-part-2/
Callagy Law: What to Do If You Get Pulled Over, Part 1
This blog will be
in three parts, because it is a story about three different strategies for
dealing with being
pulled over by the police. It is
also a story about three brothers and the differences in their attitudes. These attitudinal differences could not be
hidden under the pressures of being stopped, with a traffic ticket or tickets
on the line. Under such pressure,
natural tendencies and inbred characteristics inevitably come to the surface.
The first brother presents a stark lesson in how not to
react when stopped by the police. This
brother was the quintessential rebel. He
was thrown off most sports teams in high school for “mouthing off” to
coaches. He would readily confront any
high school teacher who he believed was flirtatious with his girlfriend. He was in trouble constantly for smoking in
bathrooms. When caught, his natural
reaction was to call the authority every profanity he could think of and some
he couldn’t. When he would inevitably
receive no sympathy from the authorities and would receive the maximum
punishment available, he would get angry and could not understand why. In fact, when others would get off easy—like
his two brothers—for similar offenses, he would respond with even louder cries
of defiance.
Needless to say, later in life, when stopped by the police,
he resorted again to his natural tendency to confront. “Officer, there was no way I was
speeding.” “This is bull$#!+.” “Why don’t you go look for real
criminals?”
Obviously, this is not the best approach to take with a
police officer when pulled over. Authority
figures like to be treated as if they are authority figures. Like it or not, when we are stopped by police,
it is the policeman who is the authority figure, and he rightfully expects to
be treated as such. He might be wrong in
stopping you; he might be right. Whether
he is right or wrong, he should be addressed as sir or officer, and should be
spoken to as if he is the one in control.
After all, he is.
Original Post: http://callagylaw.com/callagy-law-get-pulled-police-part-1/
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Please enjoy Sean Callagy's Quote of the Day! #QuoteoftheDay #CallagyLaw #CallagyQuotes
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
The Callagy Law PIP Process: A Formula for Recovery
Callagy Law
has had tremendous success in its pursuit of Personal
Injury Protection (PIP) claims on behalf of its
medical provider clients. Indeed, over
the course of the firm’s history, Callagy Law has recovered tens of millions of
dollars for our medical providers. This
has been due in large part to the process used by the Firm to identify and
pursue medical claims. Without divulging
any of our secrets to success, we present below some of the Firm’s procedures
that give a fairly broad sense of why we are successful at aggressively
pursuing our clients’ claims.
The process starts with Callagy
Law’s team of liaisons. Our client liaisons interact, to varying
degrees, with our medical providers to identify claims inappropriately denied
or underpaid. They are knowledgeable about
the methods used by carriers to pay as little as possible to medical providers. Once the liaison reviews the claim, it is
“delivered” to our system.
The claim is now a “file” and is scrutinized by our file
“scrubbers” who review it to ensure that all the necessary documents are
contained in the file, including the assignment
of benefits (AOB) and the clinical records in support
of the claim. They also investigate
whether there is still money available in the policy, and whether there are
other pending claims involving other providers with which the current file
could be consolidated. After the appeal
period or periods, the claim is filed for arbitration.
Once the claim is filed, it goes to our fee schedulers. They are charged with making sure the claim
is consistent with any applicable fee schedules. Whether the applicable fee schedule is the
Physician’s Fee Schedule, the ASC Fee Schedule or the Hospital
Outpatient Fee Schedule, our fee schedulers are there
to ensure the arbitration seeks the full amount of reimbursement permitted by
law.
The file then goes to our file vetters. Their role is to review the file in
preparation for litigation. They
assemble any payment proofs that might be helpful, and request additional documents
that might be needed, since the file was originally delivered to the firm.
After the file is sufficiently vetted, it goes to our teams
of attorneys/arbitration writers. They
are the final substantive review of the file.
They write the arbitration statement in anticipation of hearing and
assemble all of the arguments in support of the claim.
Throughout the above process, Callagy Law’s
settlers are in communication with carriers in order to settle our providers’
claims. We resolve a tremendous number
of claims through settlement after the claims are filed, which enables us to
obtain for our providers as much money as possible as quickly as possible. Of course, these settlements are always at
levels approved by the provider.
Between the settlement of claims and an extremely high win
ratio after hearing, we provide our medical providers with an extremely
effective process for recovering as much money as possible for them as quickly
as possible.
Original Post Here
New Jersey Alimony Reform | Callagy Law
On September 10, 2014, Governor Chris Christie signed into law an alimony reform bill, which went into effect immediately. New Jersey has joined a small but growing number of states that have updated alimony laws in order to reflect modern trends of gender participation in the workforce. The alimony reform bill does not apply retroactively. With regard to alimony awards, the new law will apply only to divorces in process and to future divorces. The law will, however, apply to applications to modify alimony based upon changes of circumstances and retirement.
The most significant change to existing alimony law is replacement of the term “permanent alimony” with the term “open durational alimony”. By way of explanation, for marriages that lasted fewer than 20 years, the length of alimony payments cannot exceed the length of the marriage unless a judge decides there are “exceptional circumstances.” The new bill includes a non-exhaustive list of “exceptional circumstances”, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The ages of the parties at the time of the marriage or civil union and at the time of the alimony award;
- The degree and duration of the dependency of one party on the other party during the marriage or civil union;
- Whether a spouse or partner has a chronic illness or unusual health circumstance;
- Whether a spouse or partner has given up a career or a career opportunity or otherwise supported the career of the other spouse or partner;
- Whether a spouse or partner has received a disproportionate share of the marital estate;
- The impact of the marriage or civil union on either party’s ability to become self-supporting, including but not limited to either party’s responsibility as primary caretaker of a child;
- Tax considerations of either party; and
- Any other factors or circumstances that the court deems equitable, relevant and material.
A summary of other major changes set forth in the new alimony law is set forth below:
- The new law allows petitioners to end alimony payments if the recipient lives with a partner, even if they don’t get married;
- The new law allows petitioners to modify an alimony award after 90 days based on a loss of employment or income
- The new law addresses retirement issues, creating a rebuttable presumption for alimony to terminate at a certain point while also establishing a number of factors for judges to consider in evaluating modification or termination requests related to retirement.
- The new law retains judicial discretion in most instances, while providing specific guidance only for alimony awards in marriages of less than 20 years and requires judges who deviate from that guidance to provide a written explanation.
Original Post: http://callagylaw.com/new-jersey-alimony-reform/
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Please enjoy Sean Callagy's Quote of the Day! #QuoteoftheDay #CallagyLaw #CallagyQuotes
Happy Holidays from Callagy Law
Please enjoy Sean Callagy's Quote of the Day! #QuoteoftheDay #CallagyLaw #CallagyQuotes
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Be Clear: The Do's and Don’ts of Social Media if You're an Attorney | Callagy Law
1) Be clear as to who you are and why you are
contacting the person.
The New Jersey
Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct apply to communication via
social media, therefore it is important to remember them when using sites like Facebook and LinkedIn RPC 7.1 states that
“[a] lawyer shall not make false or misleading communications
about the lawyer, the lawyer’s services, or any matter in which the
lawyer has or seeks a professional involvement.” A good way to avoid misleading
information is to be very clear as to who you are and why you are writing the
message.
2) Do not be careless with casual advice
This is important not only to make sure that you’re not
being irresponsible with the advice given, but also because an implied
client-attorney relationship may form. An attorney should be clear in his or
her communication with prospective clients regarding the nature of their
relationship.
3) Do not disclose privileged or confidential
information
Barring client permission, attorneys are not allowed to
reveal privileged or confidential
information. Although this is a rule that almost every attorney takes to
heart, technological advancements have made it easier to inadvertently reveal
information. For example, the metadata in a picture can reveal the time and
location from where the picture was taken. Although not all attorneys are tech
savvy, they will be required to know the consequences of the media they use to
communicate.
Story: http://ow.ly/GlbFc
Injuries from a 5 MPH Car Accident | Callagy Law
Don’t be fooled by what appears to me a minor auto accident. Even small accidents can cause injuries to the soft tissue. Sometimes,
people think they are fine after an accident, but later suffer from chronic
pain. Soft tissue injuries can sneak up on you out of nowhere. These soft tissue
injuries, moreover, can become permanent and haunt you for the rest of your
life.
At first, the pain will come and go. Gradually, it will begin to worsen, and the patient
might not even be sure what caused the injury, which is causing their pain. It is common for a patient to remember an
accident close in time to their first memory of the pain. The truth is, a very
minor accident could be what is behind the pain, and the patient might not even
recall the accident.
To complicate matters, X-rays do not
show a soft tissue injury. As a result, emergency room doctors might incorrectly diagnose and treat the injury. You may have a
soft tissue injury if you are suffering from numbness, muscle spasms,
stiffness, headaches, or tingling, neck or back pain. You could experience difficulty sleeping,
fatigue, and even difficulty in focusing. A soft tissue injury can also create
an atlas misalignment, which can cause even more problems.
The moral of the story is don’t take
even a minor accident lightly. If soft
tissue injury is the result, it could cause you ongoing discomfort or worse.
Story:
http://ow.ly/Gla3w
Staying Safe During the Holidays: Advice from Callagy Law
A great number of people travel during the holiday
season. So, with the holidays rapidly
approaching, it is important to make sure you stay safe and be aware of your
surroundings. Below are some helpful
tips.
TRAVELING
Be careful about who might become aware of your travel
plans. It is important, for example, to keep
your personal travel information off social media. It is better not to tell the world when you
are going away, where you are going, and when you are expected to return. Keep
these details to yourself. The one exception,
from a safety point of view, is perhaps a trusted neighbor, who can keep an eye
on your home or apartment and pick up your mail while you are gone.
ONLINE SHOPPING
When ordering items online and having items shipped to your
residence, it is more sensible not to have those items shipped to your home if
you are not going to be home to receive the packages. Again, you are better off shipping the items
to the address of a trusted neighbor, if in fact you know the items will arrive
while you are away. A great deal of
theft occurs in the United States right from people’s front steps. When packages left by UPS or the US mail in
front of your door, it is a very tempting sight for a would-be thief. To prevent theft, it is important to think
ahead and prepare.
SHOPPING AT MALLS/STORES
When shopping, make sure you remember where you park so you
are not walking around looking for your vehicle. It is also important if shopping at night to
park in a well lit area and close to where you are shopping. Make sure you have your keys out and ready so
you do not have to ruffle through your bags or pockets to locate your
keys. Be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone hanging around near your
vehicle, do not approach your vehicle.
Wait and assess whether you sense something suspicious. Do not forget to lock your car doors and
keep valuables out of sight. Report any
suspicious activity.
Remember, greater awareness harms no one and could actually
save you from being a victim of theft, robbery, or worse.
Original Post:
Callagy Law Quote of the Day
Please enjoy Callagy Law's Quote of the Day! #CallagyLaw #CallagyQuotes #CallagySpeaks
Monday, December 22, 2014
Callagy Law: Entire Controversy Doctrine in New Jersey PIP: one Bite at the Apple or is Nibbling Permitted?
Insurance companies often raise entire controversy in New Jersey PIP arbitrations, and the issue presented is whether there is any place for this doctrine in the more informal arbitration practice, and if it does apply, should it apply to a much lesser extent than one would find in the more formal judicial setting.
Initially, it is important to recognize the entire controversy doctrine is an equitable doctrine. This means it is a doctrine that could or could not be invoked by the decision maker as their sense of justice sees fit. It enables the arbitrator to consider all relevant factors in making a determination of whether it would be fundamentally fair to deprive a provider from being heard for different treatment rendered to a patient when other treatment was already adjudicated in arbitration.
Factors that militate against applying entire controversy in New Jersey PIP arbitration are the nature of treating patients. Providers usually render ongoing treatment to patients, and by its very nature, treatment is piecemeal. In addition, providers may use more than one counsel for seeking redress, which makes it more likely different portions of treatment will handled by different attorneys. Finally, insurance companies generally expect providers to use their internal appeal procedures. Certainly a claim should not be barred under the entire controversy doctrine if it was still being appealed when the prior action took place.
Notwithstanding the above, we caution our providers to be careful and to make sure they include all ripe dates of service when they ask counsel to handle a file. Providers should also advise counsel of additional dates of service, to help make sure all claims that are ripe are included in arbitration. After all, it’s better to take one big bite of an apple than to nibble and thereby risk being prevented from pursuing all treatment rendered to a patient.
Original Post:
Callagy Law: Permanent Injuries from a Five Mile an Hour Car Accident
The same theory that explains why you still open an egg carton to make sure the eggs inside are not cracked, even though the carton is undamaged, makes clear how significant injuries can be suffered in low impact automobile collisions.
Why does a shopper check the eggs inside of an undamaged egg carton for cracks? The reason is clear. While the carton shows no obvious damage externally; internally, the contents of the encasing may be damaged due a prior impact.
Similar to the eggs in the egg carton, a low impact car accident may cause the transfer of trauma to the passenger’s body, even without showing signs of obvious significant property damage to the vehicle.
Medical Studies have revealed that a person can be significantly injured as the result of a low impact motor vehicle collision, even if their vehicle shows minimal damages.
In these cases, it is important to focus on medical records and diagnostic test results in order to evidence the patient’s significant injuries, including: X-Rays (to show evidence of Muscle Spasm and/or broken bone); MRIs (to show evidence of herniated and/or bulging discs); and EMG/NCV Testing (to show evidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and/or Radiculopathy).
Additionally, there may be some signs of property damage to the vehicle apart from the usual denting of the bumper, which includes: bent framing of the vehicle; airbag deployment; shattering of glass; and damage to objects in the interior of the vehicle at the time of the accident.
In sum, even if immediately following the collision your vehicle’s property damage appears to be minor, it is possible that you have sustained accident related injury diagnoses, including: whiplash; disc herniation/ radiculopathy; facet joint injury; carpal tunnel; and/or TMJ/Jaw injury.
Original Post:
Callagy Law Advice: Ways a Herniated Disc Can Change Your Life
Disc herniations can significantly impact a person’s life in several ways. In order to understand the effects, it is first necessary to understand what a herniated disc is.
The bones that form the spine in the back, vertebrae, are cushioned by small discs. Injury or degeneration can cause disc material to be pushed out, a condition known as herniation. Problems arise when these displaced discs put pressure on nerves.
Irritated nerves can result in the following:
- Numerous symptoms, including pain, numbness, weakness and tingling, which can range from mild to severe;
- Restrictions with respect to functional activities, activities of daily living, work and play due to the above noted symptoms;
- Inability to maintain employment, care for oneself or family, and/or maintain personal relationships, due to above noted symptoms and restrictions;
- The need for treatment which can be costly and/or time consuming, including medication, chiropractic and physical therapies, acupuncture, interventional pain management, and surgical intervention.
Clearly a disc herniation can be a life altering injury. Fortunately, the medical community has made advances in recent years in terms of developing less invasive surgical approaches to alleviating symptoms resulting from disc herniation. Hopefully those affected by this condition can find relief.
Original Post:
Rapport: The Key to Bartending and Callagy Law Client Relations
by
Miguel Figueredo
As part of our training as Callagy Law client liaisons, we learned about
developing emotional
rapport with our clients. When I
heard this, I could not help but recognize how similar this was to
bartending. I did not think any of the
skills I learned as a bartender would transfer to my new job as a client liaison at the firm, but developing rapport was
something I knew about.
Mixing a good drink is only the beginning of a bartender’s
skills. As with any other job,
bartending requires a certain basic skill level appropriate for the job. With bartending that basic skill is the
ability to make a drink your customers will want and enjoy. The real expertise in bartending, though,
lies in a bartender’s ability to connect with the patrons. For the most part, drinks from one bar to the
next are not going to be very different.
Very little often distinguishes one bartender’s drink-making ability from
another’s. The difference between
wanting to drink at one locale versus another commonly comes down to which
bar/bartender makes you most comfortable.
I was always considered to be a fairly sociable person, and I
put it to good use as a bartender, connecting with complete strangers through a
quick chat or a few probing but welcomed questions. I liked the idea of using
my social skills in support of my job, and so, I always enjoyed my role as
bartender.
Now, as a client
liaison, I need to employ that same skill—developing rapport with my client
base. I want my clients to relate to me
the way a bar patron relates to a great bartender. Obviously being a liaison requires skills and
activity way beyond just being a good listener for someone intoxicated or on
the way to being intoxicated, but the one aspect of rapport is similar. A client
liaison at our firm is expected to
greatly assist medical providers in so many substantive ways. Knowledge, experience, focus diligence,
responsiveness are all incredibly important.
But all of those things should be part of a package that is surrounded
by a deep and meaningful rapport.
It is a challenge, but, I must say, I was a pretty good
bartender.
Original Post:
Friday, December 19, 2014
Callagy Law Info on Commercial Insurance: Premium Coverage or Not?
Healthcare
providers and patients are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes
to commercial
insurance. Patients pay higher premiums to their health insurance carriers,
so that they have more choices when selecting a medical provider. At the same time, insurance carriers punish
doctors and medical facilities for not being “in-network.” Generally,
the patient pays higher deductibles and co-payments when procedures are
performed “out-of-network.” Also, going out-of-network often results in
penalties being imposed on the patient. So,
the patient pays for choice and then both the patient and medical provider
are punished for the exercise of that choice, which the patient already paid
for.
Providers are also challenged when it comes to
pre-certifying procedures in the context of commercial
insurance. Often, procedures are
performed after being told no pre-certification is necessary, or after
receiving authorization only to find out later payment is denied as not medically
necessary. It is difficult for a medical
provider to grasp—and rightfully so--that they will not be paid for a procedure
by a carrier when that carrier authorized the procedure.
Insurance companies commonly set their own reimbursement
rates at levels substantially lower than what is expected in the medical
community, and medical providers often have little choice but to accept these
low payments. Many insurance plans, moreover, are very difficult to obtain,
because carriers do not readily send them to medical providers, and when they
can be obtained after protracted effort, they are often vague and border on the
incomprehensible.
Callagy
Law has spent a tremendous amount of time and expense fighting for out-of-network
providers, and we will continue to do so.
Story: http://ow.ly/GbsTG
The Challenges of Balancing Being a Callagy Law Liaison and Volunteer Firefighter
By Client Liaison, Cheryl Asmussen
The position of client
liaison at Callagy Law, for
the most, involves being in the field a great deal, and not necessarily planted
in one location day after day. Also,
technology has enabled greater flexibility in geographic location. For example, laptops and Smartphones
allow employees to perform their job functions from home or other locations
remote from the office. The confluence
of these two circumstances has provided liaisons, like myself, with greater
flexibility in how we do our jobs.
Personally, it has afforded me the opportunity to work from home, which
has enabled me to respond to fire calls and help with community events during
the day, an opportunity most full time workers do not have. I have even been able to attend certain
educational events, such as school presentations during Fire Prevention week. Callagy
Law has been terrific in allowing me such flexibility.
Some of the problems with trying to be both a client liaison and a volunteer
firefighter surface most often at night.
In the evening, I try to answer my emails, which is the time not only
for drills, meetings and other firefighter responsibilities, but also a time
when calls often occur.
I spend about 15 hours per week volunteering, and the job of
a liaison is not a Monday to
Friday, 9-5 position, if it is to be done effectively. There are many nights, after a drill, when
most members of the department are headed home to relax or go to bed, I am
headed home to keep working.
Story: http://ow.ly/GbsMc
Beginning Your Business | Callagy Law
Starting
a business can be exciting when the idea first
pops into one’s head. It can also be terrifying at 2:00am when one wakes
up with hundreds of details swimming about their head. What will it be
called? How will it be marketed? How will its product be priced
such that the profit margin is advantageous? Who will buy our product?
How quickly can we expect to cash flow? What startup costs are needed? You need to
talk to accountants, bankers, and yes, lawyers.
A good business lawyer will want to discuss these issues with you, but will
also help you decide matters such as 1) what type of entity (corporation, partnership, limited
liability company, etc.), 2) if you have
partners/co-owners, your agreement with them that governs issues such as roles
and responsibilities, equity percentages, and the like, and 3) handle
leasing/office space issues. In short, consulting your business
lawyer on the front end could lessen the likelihood of needing litigation counsel later.
Story: http://ow.ly/GbsJS
Callagy Law Advice: A Bulging Disc Can Change Your Life
A bulging intervertebral
disc is a common spine injury. It
can occur in your lumbar, thoracic,
or your cervical
spine. Managing your pain will
typically mean you need to seek treatment outside of using over-the-counter drugs,
such as ibuprofen.
You should seek the help of a physiotherapist.
A physiotherapist typically will recommend treatments, such as ice,
electrotherapy, acupuncture, taping techniques, soft tissue massage, temporary
use of a back brace, and exercises.
Exercises will help in restoring your normal joint alignment, muscle
strength/endurance, and muscle resting tension. Also, a steroid injection often helps and is
commonly recommended by physicians when the pain persists.
Personally, as soon as my symptoms start to act up, I immediately
start resort to Advil and ice
compresses, which usually help. Sitting
too long at the computer definitely causes my pain to worsen. I make sure to get up and do some stretching
exercises. I have no choice in my line
of work to not use the computer so this is extremely helpful in relieving my
symptoms. Sitting properly at my desk is
also an approach that works well.
Living with a bulging disc is a bummer, but you don’t have
to live in constant pain. If you stay
aware of your body’s signals--when your body is warning you of impending
pain--try to alleviate what is about to come your way. Know when to seek outside help, and do not
stop doing your exercises every day. General exercise
is an important component to preventing ongoing pain and recurrences.
Story:
http://ow.ly/GbsPo
Scammers, Hackers, Identity Thieves, OH MY!| Callagy Law
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
.jpg)
.jpg)
Monday, December 15, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Quote of the day from Callagy Law #CallagySpeaks #CallagyQuote #CallagyLaw
Quote of the day from Callagy Law #CallagySpeaks
#CallagyQuote #CallagyLaw
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Bergen County Fraud Case 33.5 Million Dollars Awarded
The total amount includes $8 million in punitive damages
Paramus, N.J. (Sept. 22, 2014) – A three-week civil trial at the Bergen County Superior Court of New Jersey recently ended with a jury awarding The Law Funder, LLC $33.5 million dollars. The amount is payable by, among others, defendant Matthew Sheldon, who in 2013 pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to the same unlawful conduct.
“This verdict is a victory for my clients,” said Sean Callagy of Callagy Law, who represented The Law Funder in the case. “While this does not represent a complete recovery for them, we will continue to pursue the payment due for the rest of Sheldon’s life so that he may repay some of what my clients have lost.”
Sheldon is currently incarcerated and is serving a sentence of 30 months in prison after having pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2013. He admitted to engaging in a kickback scheme that resulted in him and a number of other defendants being paid improper referral fees by the litigation funding company The Law Funder, LLC.
Sheldon had served as an attorney and chief underwriter for The Law Funder of New York, a company that he co-founded in 2004 with three other individuals.
His fraudulent activity began in 2005, when Sheldon started to work with a New Jersey broker to garner referral fees, which the two split. The fees collected amounted to at least $870,000 in profit for Sheldon.
His indiscretions were uncovered in 2009 after The Law Funder had dismissed Sheldon. An investigation by Callagy Law uncovered other fraud that was also included in the civil complaint.
The case alleged wrongdoing beyond the criminal charges, including claims that Sheldon purposefully overvalued some cases and approved funding for bad cases for his own personal benefit.
Sheldon was also accused of transferring $750,000 for fictitious cases to Jessica Escobar in Houston, who posed as both attorney and paralegal and was alleged to have had an intimate relationship with Sheldon.
The suit named 20 defendants, including Gregory Krasovsky, an attorney who previously represented The Law Funder and was aware of Sheldon’s fraud but did not alert the company, according to the complaint.
The verdict was released on June 24, 2014, with the jury awarding a total of $24.5 million in compensatory damages – $22.9 million against Sheldon, $2.2 million against Krasovsky, and $375,000 against another defendant. On June 25, 2014, the jury awarded an additional $8 million in punitive damages against Sheldon for a total of $33.5 million against him and the remaining defendants.
Original Post:
###
Callagy Law (Law Offices of Sean R. Callagy)
650 From Road, Suite 565
Paramus, NJ 07652
inquiries@callagylaw.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)