Missouri Workers’ Compensation Division – What You Need to Know.
The Missouri workers’ compensation division is located in Jefferson City. This is the central office which administers all of the local branch offices. The office in Jefferson City also serves as a local office and maintains the Missouri Industrial Relations Commission which handles appeals for the local offices.
The Jefferson City office is located at 3315 West Truman Blvd, P. O. Box 58, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0058. Their telephone number is 1-573-751-9691.
For years, administrative law judges had been giving advice to employees have been giving advice to employees with regard to settlement offers and various legal options. Under the new law which came into effect in 2005, a judge is required to approve any settlement unless he believes that the employee doesn’t understand their legal rights. Previously judges were permitted to advise injured employees if there were receiving low offers and they would evaluate claims. In many cases, they would advise an injured employee to seek legal counsel from an attorney if they felt that they were being treated unfairly.
Under the present system, administrative law judges have been severely restricted and effectively muzzled when it comes to low ball settlement offers. This has saved insurance companies a lot of money because many cases have been settled for a very low amount. Some injured employees have been told that there is a set dollar amount which will be determined by the insurance company’s doctor. However, there are no set amounts and studies have shown that employees who are represented by attorneys have received significantly greater settlements.
In summary, it is important to understand that the Missouri Workers’ Compensation division provides judges in order to hear disputes. They also provide administrative personnel who can answer basic questions. However, there are no longer any legal advisors and judges are no longer able to effectively protect employees from being hustled by insurance adjusters and attorneys making low settlement offers. Submitted by Jeff Swaney FREE CONSULTATION 314-481-7778
Jefferson City – The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced in December the selection of fourteen administrative law judges to serve within the Division of Workers’ Compensation. The administrative law judges are responsible for adjudicating and resolving disputes relating to workers’ compensation injuries.
Administrative Law Judges
Suzette Carlisle, St. Louis, is a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Carlisle holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a juris doctorate from the St. Louis University. Carlisle has over seven years experience in workers’ compensation cases.
Karen Fisher, Saginaw, serves as a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Joplin. Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Fisher has 15 years experience in workers’ compensation cases.
Grant C. Gorman, St. Charles, is an associate prosecuting attorney with the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Gorman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Gorman has over 12 years experience practicing law, seven of which included participation in workers’ compensation hearings.
Ronald F. Harris, Jefferson City, serves as a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Harris earned an associate’s degree in accounting from State Fair Community College in Sedalia, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. Harris has over 17 years experience in workers’ compensation cases.
Kathleen M. Hart, St. Louis, currently serves as a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation in St. Louis. Hart holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a juris doctorate from St. Louis University. Hart has over 15 years of experience in workers’ compensation cases.
John K. Ottenad, Manchester, is an associate attorney with Lemp & Anthony in St. Louis. Ottenad earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science and a juris doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis. Ottenad has ten years experience practicing in workers’ compensation cases and spent four years defending the Second Injury Fund while working with the Missouri Attorney General’s office.
Lawrence C. Kasten, Cape Girardeau, is legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Kasten earned a bachelor’s degree in history and speech communications from the University of Alabama and a juris doctorate from the Samford University in Alabama. Kasten has over 15 years of experience in workers’ compensation cases.
Victorine R. Mahon, Jefferson City, is an assistant attorney general with the Office of Attorney General. Mahon holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Wichita State University and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mahon served as Chief Legal Advisor for the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission for over 14 years. During this time, Mahon reviewed and drafted workers’ compensation awards.
Robert B. Miner, St. Joseph, is shareholder/director of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. in St. Joseph. Miner holds a bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Miner has practiced law for over thirty years and has extensive experience in workers’ compensation cases.
Gary L. Robbins, Jackson, is a legal advisor for the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Cape Girardeau. Robbins holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northeast Missouri State Teacher’s College (now Truman State University) in Kirksville and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Robbins has over nine years of experience in workers’ compensation cases and served in the United States Army as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General Corps for four years.
Vicky Ruth, Jefferson City, is a senior regulatory law judge with the Missouri Public Service Commission. Ruth holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ruth has practiced law for 13 years and has seven years of administrative hearing experience with the Missouri Public Service Commission.
Carl W. Strange, Ironton, is a part-time prosecuting attorney of Iron County and has a private practice in Ironton. Strange earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Strange has practiced law for six years and serves in the Missouri Army National Guard.
L. Timothy Wilson, Nixa, is a legal advisor with the Division of Workers’ Compensation in Springfield. Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree in history and government from Evangel College in Springfield and a juris doctorate from George Mason University in Virginia. Wilson has over 13 years experience in workers’ compensation cases.
David L. Zerrer, Springfield, currently serves as legal advisor with the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Zerrer earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Zerrer has practiced law for over 30 years, which includes experience in workers’ compensation cases. He has five years of experience with the Division of Workers’ Compensation and served in the Missouri National Guard for six years.
The selected candidates, with the exception of Carlisle and Hart, assumed their administrative law judge duties on January 1, 2006. The appointments of Suzette Carlisle and Kathleen Hart were effective immediately.
The Division of Workers’ Compensation has eight adjudication offices throughout the state. The number of administrative law judges varies per office, based on workload. The following chart indicates the number of administrative law judges for each office.
|
Adjudication Office |
Chief ALJ |
Number of ALJs (including Chief ALJ) |
|
Cape Girardeau |
Jack Knowlan |
Four |
|
Jefferson City |
Hannelore Fischer |
Four |
|
Joplin |
Tim Wilson |
Two |
|
Kansas City |
Kenneth Cain |
Seven |
|
Springfield |
Victorine Mahon |
Four |
|
St. Charles |
Leslie Brown |
Three |
|
St. Joseph |
Nelson Allen |
Two |
|
St. Louis |
Edwin Kohner |
Twelve |
Kenneth Cain, Leslie Brown, Jack Knowlan, Nelson Allen and Edwin Kohner will continue to serve as Chief Administrative Law Judges in their current adjudication offices. Hannelore Fischer, Victorine Mahon and Tim Wilson will serve as Chief Administrative Law Judges in Jefferson City, Springfield and Joplin, respectively.
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Tags: Missouri worers' compensation, Missouri Workers' Compensation Division
December 6th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
interesting
December 6th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
interesting.
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:40 am
helpful for claimants.
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:41 am
good info.
January 2nd, 2009 at 3:42 am
thanks for info.
January 11th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
thanks for info.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:42 am
good, but not detailed.
June 10th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Last night when my wife and I were laying in bed I thought of something. I wonder when all of these college boomers are going to die off? You gotta think that everyone is getting close to being finished with their degrees since the economic meltdown started. What happens to our countries financial system once that begins to happen? What a gloomy site. I had a difficult time going to bed after reflecting on that thought.