Program Chair and Presenter:

Thomas M. Domer, PhD
Domer Law S.C.
Milwaukee

Presenters:

Jennifer L. Barwinski
Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik S.C.
Milwaukee

Shekhar A. Dagam, MD
Shekhar A. Dagam, MD Neurosurgery
Milwaukee

Hamdy A. Ezalarab, PhD
Department of Workforce Development
Madison

Douglas M. Feldman
Lindner & Marsack S.C.
Milwaukee

Harvey Kohn, MD
Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center S.C.
Greenfield

Jonathan D. Main, MD
Comprehensive Orthopaedics S.C.
Kenosha

Zoran Maric, MD
Crawford Evaluation Group
Delafield

Daniel R. McCormick
McCormick Law Office
Milwaukee

8:00 a.m. : Registration

8:30 a.m. : Common Worker’s Compensation Spinal Conditions, Diagnostics, and Procedures

• Common back injury conditions including degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, muscle spasm, and mechanical and neurogenic back pain
• Common back injury diagnostic tests including MRI, CT scan, discography, and facet injections
• Common back injury treatments and procedures including laminectomy, discectomy, fusions, and pain medications

Shekhar A. Dagam, MD, Daniel R. McCormick

9:25 a.m. : ALJ Reaction

Hon. Aaron A. Konkol

9:30 a.m. : Permanency Apportionment (“Other Factors”) Under New Statute

• Statute 102.175(3) – legal analysis of what it actually means and how it will be applied
• Pre-existing conditions – what are they and how can they be apportioned out
• Effect of “other factors,” including prior surgeries, on the physicians PPD assessment including prior surgeries
• Effect on statutory minimum PPD assessments contained in the administrative code

Douglas M. Feldman, Zoran Maric, MD

10:25 a.m. : ALJ Reaction

10:30 a.m. : Break

10:45 a.m. : Elements of a Scheduled Injury IME

• What triggers an IME?
• Elements you should get from an IME
• Guidelines for apportionment of pre-existing conditions using AMA and Rule 20 guidelines
• A step-by-step overview of an IME

Jennifer L. Barwinski, Harvey Kohn, MD

11:40 a.m. : ALJ Reaction

11:45 a.m. : Responding to an IME Report

• Addressing "other factors" diminishing Permanent Partial Disability percentages
• Responding to "learned treatises"
• Using Functional Capacity Evaluations for permanent restrictions

Thomas M. Domer, Ph.D., Jonathan D. Main, MD

12:40 p.m. : ALJ Reaction

12:45 p.m. : Program Concludes

• Understand how permanency apportionment is determined and how it may be rebutted
• Hear perspectives from doctors, experienced attorneys, and an Administrative Law Judge
• Receive an overview of common spinal conditions, diagnostics, and procedures
• Learn the necessary components of an Independent Medical Examination for scheduled injuries

• Worker’s compensation attorneys
• Personal injury lawyers
• Medical malpractice attorneys
• Employment/labor law practitioners
• Employee benefits lawyers
• Insurance law attorneys
• In-house counsel
• General practitioners