Category: PDRater

By Posted on Posted in Business, Not Workers Compensation No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Glasses, online
Glasses, online!

Last week I posted a Goggles4U.com review.  ((Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee)) My review was favorable despite having received glasses that didn’t really work for me.  It just so happens, according to my eye doctor, that some people are more sensitive to the “Base Curvature.”  I happen to be one of those people and there’s no way either I or Goggles4U could have known that.  The bottom line is that I received glasses with the exact prescription I specified- you can’t ask more than that.

After trying out this pair of glasses for a week I notified Goggles4U customer service that I was too sensitive to the “Base Curvature.”  They responded immediately and gave me a code to order a new pair.  I placed the order on 2/27/2009, sent them an e-mail specifying a comfortable range for the Base Curvature.  The new glasses arrived on 3/7/2009.

These new glasses, with transition/polychromatic lenses, are great. I haven’t had any problems with them at all.  I will still take them back to my eye doctor to confirm, because I think any review would be incomplete without an independent confirmation from a medical professional.

In end sum, I would recommend Goggles4U without reservation.  Check out my prior review (now updated!) for the complete review and a Goggles4U coupon.

By Posted on Posted in 2005 PDRS, Almaraz / Guzman, AMA Guides, Ogilvie, PDRater, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Get your head out of the sand!
Get your head out of the sand!

UPDATE 9/3/2009:  Download the new en banc Ogilvie II and Almaraz/Guzman II decisions here!

There are numerous workers’ compensation professionals who are incredibly unhappy with Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman.  Vocational experts are unhappy with Ogilvie, and somewhat hopeful with Almaraz/Guzman.  Impairment rating specialists are not happy with Ogilvie or Almaraz/Guzman.  These people may be unhappy with these new cases, but at least they’re starting to adapt.

As Julius Young of WorkCompZone.com just reported, some people are dealing with Almaraz/Guzman by putting on “webinars.”  Phil Walker and Christopher Brigham have each announced “webinars.”  According to Walker’s promotional e-mail, he charges $2,000.00 to appear for a one day seminar – and now he’s giving it away for free.

People will try to convince you that Almaraz/Guzman is not the law or “just” a WCAB decision.  Do not believe these people.  Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman are both en banc cases.

En banc decisions of the Appeals Board are binding precedent on all Appeals Board panels and workers’
compensation judges. (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 8, § 10341; City of Long Beach v. Workers’ Comp. Appeals Bd. (Garcia) (2005) 126 Cal.App.4th 298, 313, fn. 5 [70 Cal.Comp.Cases 109, 120, fn. 5]; Gee v. Workers’ Comp. Appeals Bd. (2002) 96 Cal.App.4th 1418, 1425, fn. 6 [67 Cal.Comp.Cases 236, 239, fn. 6]; see also Gov. Code, § 11425.60(b).)

Ogilvie and Almaraz/Guzman are binding precedent on judges and the WCAB itself.  Don’t believe the hype and don’t stick your head in the sand.  ((Photo courtesy of blakeimeson)) If you argue it is not the law or not binding precedent, you will lose.  Yes, these cases may be appealed and may even be overturned.

I think it likely they will be appealled and highly unlikely they will be overturned.

By Posted on Posted in Almaraz / Guzman, Calculators, COLA, Commutation, Downloads, Free, Life Pension, PDRater, SAWW, Technobabble, Website Updates, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
XYZZXSJO2 - The motion picture!
XYZZXSJO2 - The sequel!

Last week I posted about a recent case from the San Jose WCAB that indicated a life pension SAWW ((SAWW means State Average Weekly Wage)) increase is applied on the first January 1 after the date of injury.  You can find a download of the XYZZXSJO2 case here.

I’ve just finished the COLA / SAWW future life pension rate calculator to determine what the future life pension rates are assuming a COLA / SAWW increase of 4.7% per year.  If you’re interested in becoming a beta tester for this COLA / SAWW calculator for life pension increases, please drop me a line and ask for access.  ((If you have already helped me out as a beta tester, you already have access to this calculator.))

Please keep in mind that this is not a life pension with SAWW / COLA increase commutation calculator.  The actuarial math involved in performing that calculation is … intense.

As an interesting side note, this week I saw my very first DEU commutation of a life pension with COLA increase.  Unlike the typical commutations everyone receives from the DEU, this commutation calculation was devoid of the actual methodology used.  I was pretty disappointed to find this out.

No matter!  Help beta test the new calculator by dropping me a line.  After you’ve given it a whirl, let me know what you think.

By Posted on Posted in Business, Not Workers Compensation No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Glasses, online
Glasses, online!

I recently ordered three pairs of glasses from GlobalEyeglasses.com and one pair from Goggles4U.com. ((Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee))  Last Wednesday I had my doctor check all four pairs.  Read on for the details!

I chose to try Goggles4U.com because an NPR commenter had a good review for them, they seemed to have good online reviews, had a very good website, and their prices for polychromatic glasses were fantastic.  UPDATE 3/10/09: Updated Goggles4U.com review here!

Review of Goggles4U.com

  1. Website. Goggles4U.com lets you upload a photo of yourself and try on a virtual pair of glasses.  I didn’t try this feature, but I suppose it might be useful to some.  They also have the option of spinning a virtual version of each pair of glasses.  It was fairly easy to navigate their website and place the order.  One useful feature is that their website allows you to save your prescription so you don’t have to re-enter it.
  2. Selection. There were easily several hundred frames from which to choose.  They have every imaginable style and variation.  They also have a wide range of lens options: clear, tinted, polychromatic / transition lenses, and super thin materials.
  3. Price. Goggles4U.com has free shipping.  Most of the frames are about $12.99.
  4. Frame Quality. The pair I bought fit with minimal adjusting of the nose pads and behind the ears.
  5. Lens Quality. For some reason the glasses from Goggles4U.com just didn’t seem right.  They took me several minutes to adjust to and still continued to bother me in a subtle way I couldn’t quite understand.  I took this pair to my eye doctor who told me that this pair had a lower “Base Curvature” than the pairs from GlobalEyeglasses.com.   Apparently, some people are just more sensitive to variations in “Base Curvature.”
  6. Shipping. Two weeks, just about on the button.  Shipping was free.
  7. Customer Service. After trying out these frames for a week I e-mailed Goggles4U.com to let them know I was having problems with the glasses and that I was going to take them to my doctor to be examined.  The responded immediately asking me to let them know what my doctor had to say.  I e-mailed them right when I came back to let them know the “base curvature” was off.  The e-mailed me back almost immediately giving me a coupon code for $35.99 off another pair.  The bottom line is that they responded to me nearly instantly and have gone out of their way to make me happy.  I’m not interested in a refund, just a pair of glasses for a reasonable price.  I feel like Goggles4U.com has certainly earned by business.
  8. Extras. Each pair comes with its own free case, eyeglass cloth, and replacement nose pads and screws.  Shipping was free.

Verdict: I would use Goggles4U.com again and recommend them to a friend.  When placing your order, use the coupon code, “glassyeyes” for 5% off.

UPDATE 3/10/09: Updated Goggles4U.com review here!

By Posted on Posted in Author, Business, Not Workers Compensation 2 Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Glasses, online
Glasses, online!

I recently ordered three pairs of glasses from GlobalEyeglasses.com and one pair from Goggles4U.com. ((Photo courtesy of Morningstar Lee))  Last Wednesday I had my doctor check all four pairs.  Read on for the details!

I chose to try GlobalEyeglasses.com because I heard a glowing review on on NPR, they seemed to have good online reviews, had a decent website, and their prices were really incredible.

Review of GlobalEyeglasses.com

  1. Website. The GlobalEyeglasses.com webiste merely lets you see a larger photo of each pair of glasses. I am was the kind of person who needed to try on lots of different frames before I could make a choice  ((It’s an important decision!))  Incredibly, not being able to try on the glasses just didn’t bother me at all.  Once I had gotten my prescription and narrowed down the frame choices, it was surprisingly easy to find the glasses for me.
  2. Selection. There were easily several hundred frames from which to choose.  They have every imaginable style and variation.  They also have a wide range of lens options: clear, tinted, polychromatic / transition lenses, and super thin materials.
  3. Price. Using the coupon code at the bottom of this review, I got 10% off my order.  You can find frames as cheaply as $1.00 ((Not that you’d want them.)) and lenses starting from $6.99.  They appear to have several designer frames.  The only shipping option is by UPS and costs $5.99.  When I was buying a month ago they were running a promotion where I bought two pairs and got one pair free.  $45.00 for three pairs, shipped, is basically unbeatable.
  4. Frame Quality. Each pair fit with minimal adjusting of the nose pads and behind the ears.  On my pair of sunglassses ((Just a tinted pair of prescription glasses)) one of the screws in the nose pads fell out the first day I wore it.  When I replaced the nose pad I discovered that the screw fell out because the threads on that side had been stripped.  I used an extra screw and tightened it.  I haven’ t had any problems since.
  5. Lens Quality. I have had no problems with the prescriptions on any of the three pairs I got from GlobalEyeglasses.com.  I didn’t require any “adjustment” period or any time to get used to these glasses.  More importantly, the lenses themselves were confirmed by my doctor to be the correct prescription.
  6. Shipping. Two weeks, just about on the button.  Shipping was $5.99.
  7. Customer Service. A day after I placed my order I received an e-mail from GlobalEyeglasses.com saying that one of the pairs I had ordered was now out of stock and would I please select a new pair.  While a little bummed that one of my first choices was no longer available, I was very happy that they let me know immediately.  I chose a new frame and made a small change to another frame I had originally ordered.  They adjusted the price accordingly and immediately refunded me the difference.
  8. Extras. Each pair comes with its own free case, eyeglass cloth, and replacement nose pads and screws.

Verdict: I would absolutely recommend GlobalEyeglasses.com and use them again.  When placing your order, use the coupon code, “glassyeyes” for 10% off.