Along with March comes the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. This year it falls on a Monday, March 17th 2014. Every year on this day people gather together to hit the local pubs and drink up some of the delicious ale. They drink, eat, dance and have a great time. However, there are certain things that you should and should not do to make sure you have a time that is memorable, albeit safe and fun at the same time.

Here is a Checklist That May Be of Help:

Do wear green. No one says you have to don a full-on leprechaun costume, but you can throw on something green to celebrate the holiday. From a simple green shirt to green hair, socks, pants and more, you are sure to find something that is going to be unique and sensational all at the same time. Go with as much or as little green as you desire, so long as you have some on when March 17th rolls around.

Do have the phone number of  taxi companies with you. Just because you are going out to drink and have fun, that doesn’t mean you should do it irresponsibly. Save yourself a lot of time and hassle by having the phone number of a taxi company on you, so that way you have someone responsible who can get you home and keep everyone on the road safe.

Do pay attention to how much alcohol you are consuming. Regardless of where you go and what you do that evening, you need to pay attention to how much alcohol you are putting in your body. Your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content). Overdoing it is a bad thing and could lead to alcohol poisoning. For blood alcohol calculation visit: Blood Alcohol Calculator. Note: The results are not legal advise and should not be considered accurate as your actual blood alcohol concentration depends on a variety of additional factors.

Don’t go out and drink on an empty stomach. One of the worst things you can do is to start drinking without having eaten anything beforehand. Make sure you eat something, so that way it can absorb some of the alcohol and prevent you from being too inebriated right off the bat.

Don’t drive drunk. As obvious as this might seem, people tend to do it all the time. It doesn’t matter how cheap you are, calling a cab to make sure you get home safe, as well as everyone else on the road, is something that should go without saying. Don’t put the lives of others at risk just because you went out and got yourself drunk.

Don’t do something illegal. Even though you might have had a few too many to drink, that doesn’t mean you can go out and do something illegal. You still have to be responsible and obey the laws of the land. Be responsible and accountable for your actions.

If you find that you did something stupid and need the help of an experienced defense attorney, you can give us a call to discuss your needs. We will take the time to explain your rights and the seriousness of your crime to help you come to a solution to your situation.

 By Shapiro Law Group

According to the State law of Massachusetts, every employee should avail the insurance for worker’s compensation from their employers. This compensation is your right in Massachusetts in order to help you move forward if you are injured while moving forward in your duties.

Massachusetts worker’s compensation law protects the rights of both the employer and the employee simultaneously. Read on, to grasp an insight about the tips to claim the benefits of worker’s compensation.

Just last year alone, according to US department of labor:

●    Over $60 Million of compensation was awarded to employees
●    There were over 1500 claims, 43% of them were successful

In order to get the compensation necessary it is vital that you take the correct legal steps with urgency.

1. The Employer should be notified Immediately

A worker should find medical help as soon as he is found injured. No matter how huge or trivial the injury is; the employer should be informed about it immediately. Medical treatments should be sought for as soon as possible and the doctors should be informed about the cause of injury in details.

2. Take the next steps

After informing your employer about the injury, a medical notice should be filled promptly. The accident report of the employee needs to be filled immediately while seeking medical help. If you mail the report, make sure that it is certified and also ensure that you receive a copy for yourself. In order to claim worker’s compensation successfully you will have to ensure that you have made ample use of the available resources in a proper time frame.

3. Check if your employer is filling the accident/injury report

When it comes to filing your report it is up to you to keep up with it, and to keep your own copy of the report.  There are countless situations in which worker’s compensation is not awarded because of negligence in this regard.  The rule of thumb is this: After you have lost five days in work due to your injury, the employer has exactly seven days for filing the first report of your accident with the chosen insurance company.

The insurance company has to either accept or deny your claim after 14 days of receiving the report. If the insurance company wants to consult with you regarding the report, do not contact them, have them speak with an attorney.  This way you will not give away information that can jeopardize the award.

4. Very important: hire a competent lawyer

Hiring a competent workers compensation lawyer for filing and assisting you with disputes is more than beneficial – it’s absolutely critical. You have to choose an expert lawyer who has ample expertise in the job. In fact it is only then that you can achieve a successful claim. Very often, cracking the code of these worker compensation situations is rather tough, even some cases being impossible without the aid of an attorney. These attorneys then ensure that the legal advice is accurate; the key is this, never take serious action without the consultation of your attorney.

5. Your responsibilities

We are reiterating this step because it is so critical.  Hard evidence is what is necessary to get your worker’s compensation.  Even though, there are full chances of you availing the worker’s compensation, you might also be denied benefits. Under such a situation, you will have to sort out all documents and keep a copy of all your filed reports.

It is a great idea to make copies of your own medical records. These records should contain the narrative of the physician, copies of medical tests (if any), as well as copies of the form and medical statements of the worker’s compensation.

By: Shapiro Law Group