A construction company in Wisconsin is the target of a federal lawsuit alleging ERISA violations that resulted in $4 million of plan losses for employees.

President and CEO of Westra Construction Inc. in Waupun, Wisconsin, is named in the suit along with a trustee of the company’s ESOP. The lawsuit was filed by the Department of Labor in United States District Court in Milwaukee. Westra is accused doctoring financial reports and ordering the plan to buy 40,000 shares of non-voting convertible preferred Westra company stock for $4 million.

Two years following the $4 million purchase, Westra ceased operations, making the stock worthless.

The Labor Department lawsuit is seeking to restore the employee stock ownership plan.

Assistant Secretary of Labor of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, Phyllis C. Borzi said Westra “diverted retirement assets to subsidize corporate activities, thereby jeopardizing the future retirement income of their workers…”

If you or someone you love has been injured and is not receiving the long-term disability that he or she deserves, please contact an Indiana long term disability lawyer of the Hankey Law Office by calling 800-520-3633.

Compensation and insurance provided to military veterans is very similar to workers’ compensation. The overall compensation system in both sectors involve more than one type of insurance such as health insurance, disability income insurance, life insurance, and possibly mortgage insurance. Despite these similarities, the application process for these benefits is quite different.

Applying to receive veteran’s benefits requires that you go through the Office of Veterans Affairs. The Office of Veteran Affairs handles all VA Disability Compensation and in order to qualify a veteran must have suffered a disability related to time spent in the armed forces. A veteran who was dishonorably discharged due not qualify for benefits.

If you are eligible for benefits, you could receive between $123 and $3100 each month. Additional supplementary payments to compensate family members may also be available.

Filing for VA disability benefits can be quite a complex process. To speak with an attorney about the legal options available to an injured veteran, please contact an Indiana Long Term Disability Attorney of the Charles D. Hankey Law Office, P.C., by calling 800-520-3633.

A class action lawsuit filed in New York claims Prudential Insurance Company of America violated the ERISA when it conducted long-term disability claims appeal reveiws.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, contends that “potentially thousands” of long-term disability claimants who filed a “scondary/voluntary” appeal after November 14, 2005 were denied by the same Prudential employee who denied the first appeal. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, a decision maker on a second appeal must be an independent person who was not involved with any previous denial of a claim.

The lawsuit is seeking a court order requiring Prudential to re-evaluate thousands of voluntary appeals that it denied. This reassessment could potentially result in “millions of dollars” of past due benefits.

If you or someone you love has been injured and is not receiving the long-term disability that he or she deserves, please contact an Indiana long term disability lawyer of the Hankey Law Office by calling 800-520-3633.

Nortel Networks Corp., which recently filed for creditor protection, has reached a settlement agreement with former employees seeking long-term disability.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Nortel will continue to pay medical and dental benefits to pensioners and long-term disability beneficiaries for the remainder of 2010. Any claim made by any party in relation to the matters settled under the new agreement will rank as ordinary unsecured claimes under the CCAA proceedings.

While the settlement is still subject to court approval, a charge in the maximum amount of $57 million on Nortel’s assets will be established to secure the payments to be made to long-term disability beneficiaries.

If you or someone you love has been injured and is not receiving the long-term disability that he or she deserves, please contact an Indiana long term disability lawyer of the Hankey Law Office by calling 800-520-3633.

The Defense Department recently agreed to expedite the claims of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder but have been denied benefits.

The veterans’ advocacy group National Veterans Legal Services said at a press conference in Washington that more than 4,000 veterans could be eligible for benefits from a class action lawsuit if hey left the military because of their PTSD.

The original lawsuit was filed by seven veterans who suffer from PTSD in 2008. The seven veterans had been denied a required rating to make them eligible for a variety of long-term disability benefits. A court authorized mailing is now going out to veterans on a list of some 4,300 veterans informing them of their ability to join the lawsuit if they qualify.

Bart Stichman, a spokesman for National Veteran Legal Services, said “The legal notice gives thousands of veterans the right to join this class action under terms that are likely to result in millions of dollars in monetary and health care benefits.”

If you or someone you love has been physically or psychologically injured and is not receiving the long-term disability that he or she deserves, please contact a Indiana long term disability lawyer of the Hankey Law Office by calling 800-520-3633.

State Rep. Chuck Moosley’s bills concerning adult education and workers compensation improvement initiatives has passed the State House of Representatives, and is headed to the State Senate.

H.B. 1116 is Moosley’s bill which would improve the level of care granted to workers receiving healthcare treatment through the state’s workers’ compensation program. Under Moosley’s system, seriously injured workers seeking emergency medical care will be able to seek treatment from any doctor, rather than just a company-approved doctor.

If you or someone you love has been injured and isn’t receiving the long-term disability that he or she needs, contact the Indiana long-term disability attorneys of the Hankey Law Office today by calling 800-520-3633.

Indiana State Police are investigating the cause of a collision between a semi-truck and a passenger van that left two individuals dead and injured 17 others. The crash apparently occurred while the two vehicles were traveling northbound on I-65, and when the van tried to enter the shoulder of the roadway and was struck from behind by the truck. Sources say the injuries range from minor to critical for the passengers involved in the wreck.

If you have been involved in a serious accident, you may require long-term disability assistance. Contact the Indiana long-term disability lawyer of the Charles D. Hankey Law Office at 317-634-8565 today.

An accident at the Mackey Arena construction site in West Lafayette, Indiana left one worker seriously injured on Monday morning. Sources say the Hoosier Steel subcontractor fell approximately 10 feet after falling through a hole while installing metal decking on the penthouse level of the new arena, falling from the fourth-floor to the third.

The worker was reportedly transported to the St. Elizabeth Medical Center for treatment following the accident. Sources say that his employer has already begun preliminary safety investigations.

If you have suffered injury while performing the duties required by your employer, contact the Indiana workers’ compensation attorneys of the Charles D. Hankey Law Office, P.C. at 800-520-3633 to discuss your legal options.

With last year’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), veteran’s groups believed it would be easier for wounded soliders to receive prompt and efficient treatment for their wounds because of the new government system for rating and evaluating injuries.

Sources close to the issue now say that the government’s interpretation of the act may limit care for some wounded veterans. The main issue is the definition of “combat-related operations” which may exclude certain individuals due to the loose interpretation of the term. Veteran’s groups are hoping that a clearer and broader definition of combat-related operations can be agreed upon so that more individuals can receive the care they need.

For assistance with your disability claim, contact the Indiana long-term disability attorneys of the Charles D. Hankey Law Office, P.C. at 317-634-8565 today.

A new federal insurance program is among the measures being debated in the health legislation bill. The program would provide cash benefits to those with long-term disabilities. The bill is meant to help people with severe disabilities who wish to live in a community, although a person could also use the benefits toward assisted living or nursing home care.

Advocates of the measure say that it is a step in the right direction to help aging baby boomers and people with disabilities. However, critics say that the program could create financial problems for the government in the future.

If you or a loved one has been denied the benefits they deserve, please contact an Indiana long-term disability lawyer of the Charles D. Hankey Law Office by calling 800-520-3633.