Want to be a beta tester?
I’m working on a new calculator and I could use some beta testers. 1
If you’re interested, leave a comment or send me an e-mail.
Thanks!
Tag: workers compensation calculator
Calling all guinea pigs
I have several new calculators in the works and could use a few guinea pigs to help test them. A few days ago I sent an e-mail to a select few of this website’s users asking them to participate. As a result of their testing and feedback, I’ve made a few changes to these new calculators.
However, I’d also appreciate the help of anyone interested in testing. If you are willing to provide feedback and want to try out these new calculators, please send me an e-mail.
ANOTHER NEW Calculator!
I’ve just built another new workers’ compensation calculator. Actually, it is a look up tool that will help workers’ compensation professionals file documents with EAMS.1
While I think the recent Verify!® social security number validator may be more intriguing for defense attorneys and claims examiners, I think this new EAMS tool will probably be more useful to Applicant attorneys.
Interested? Just drop me a line to become a beta tester!
- Photo courtesy of Irene on the run [↩]
EVEN More Workers Compensation Calculators
I’m working on several more workers compensation calculators. I’m really excited about one of them in particular. 1
I’ve been working to develop calculators and search engines that are easier to use, easier to understand, and make them available to everyone for less than my competitors. One benefit to doing it all myself is that I can innovate faster than anyone else. For instance, my wildly popular Ogilvie calculator was available to beta testers just days after the Ogilvie case came out.
But, this new calculator is something entirely new. Tantalized? Titilated? Tremulous?
Stay tuned!
New Ogilvie Calculator Feature!
What’s that? You haven’t memorized ALL of the FEC ranks to go with each of the 2005 Permanent Disability Rating Schedule body parts? 1
Why didn’t you say so? (Actually, someone did ask for an easy way to look up the FEC ranks back on April 1).
I’ve been working on an easy way to allow a user to look up and quickly insert the FEC rank for the affected body part. I finally got around to building it a few days ago and launched it this morning. Please give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Here’s all you need to do to perform your very own Ogilvie calculation:
- Go to the permanent disability calculator page. (If you haven’t already signed up for free, this is a good time.)
- Click “Ogilvie” Diminished Future Earning Capacity Calculator “
- Type in the FEC rank OR click “FEC Rank (1-8)” and click on the injured body part. It will look up the FEC rank and insert it for you.
- Type in the “Whole Person Impairment”
- Type in the “Post Injury Earnings of Applicant”
- Type in the “Post Injury Earnings of Similarly Situated Employees” OR click the link to obtain some information from the EDD Labor Market Information Division (LMID) and US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
If you can think of a way for me to make this calculator even easier, please let me know. 2
- You’ve only had four years, right? [↩]
- Photo courtesy of Vicki’s Pics [↩]
How does Ogilvie change 2005 ratings?
I had an interesting e-mail exchange with a friend (and fellow workers’ compensation professional) the other day.1
We were discussing the impacts of Ogilvie on 2005 schedule ratings. He had asked me whether I intended to update the 2005 permanent disability rating calculator to include FEC Ranks after the scheduled 8. I believe he had suggested FEC Ranks 9 through 20.
I have no intention of manufacturing FEC Ranks 9 through 20 for the following reasons:
- Maintaining Standards. The entire point of a rating schedule is to allow a standardized method for calculating disability and expressing those disability calculations. If I invented my own FEC Rank system beyond the scheduled 1-8 Ranks, I would essentially be creating my own rating calculation system. I’ve gone to considerable lengths to ensure that the rating strings produced by these permanent disability calculators are as standardized, recognizeable, and universal as possible.
- FEC Ranks are Irrelevant. The FEC Rank system is a simplified method of applying DFEC adjustment factors. When you use the FEC Rank of a particular body part to adjust the standard using the charts on pages 2-6 and 2-7 of the 2005 PDRS (permanent disability rating schedule), what you’re really doing is essentially multiplying your standard disability against the FEC adjustment factor associated with the particular FEC Rank for the body part in question. An FEC Rank is only useful for telling you the appropriate FEC adjustment factor to apply to the standard disability. Thus, FEC Ranks are irrelevant and FEC adjustment factors are all important.
- Arbitrary FEC Ranks. FEC Rank 1 has an FEC adjustment factor of “1.100”. However, using the Ogilvie DFEC rebuttal formula, it is possible to end up with very low FEC adjustment factors. In extreme circumstances it would be possible to have a negative FEC adjustment factor. The only way to resolve this would be to have several possible negative FEC Ranks. Besides being somewhat silly, worrying about additional FEC Ranks2 misses the point. If you’re using the Ogilvie DFEC rebuttal formula properly, the result will be a new FEC adjustment factor. If you already have the FEC adjustment factor, you have no need for the FEC Rank!
When I had discussed the impact of Ogilvie earlier, I had pointed out that in some cases the resulting formula will dictate that you use a different FEC Rank than the one indicated by the affected body part. In other cases you will need to use an entirely new FEC adjustment factor. In order to keep the 2005 disability calculator current I will eventually have to create a way for the user to override a body part’s standard FEC Rank and specify a new FEC Rank or their own FEC adjustment factor.
I’m not in any particular rush to develop this feature since Ogilvie seems to require three years of post-injury earnings. I doubt we’re going to see litigation begin in earnest over Ogilvie issues for another 18 to 24 months.
- Photo courtesy of Street Fly JZ [↩]
- Both higher and lower than the normal 8 [↩]