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EEOICPA & RECA Attorneys

Stephens & Stephens has obtained over $60 million through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and the Energy Employees Occupation Illness Compensation Act for our clients

Dee GodfreyDee Godfrey
18:49 12 Mar 24
I was astounded with the service I received from Mr. Hugh Stephens in regard to my husband's compensation claim. He was not only efficient, but also compassionate, and communicated clearly and frequently. Because of his outstanding efforts and expertise, I, who am now a grieving widow, am unexpectedly stabile and secure. I had little to do. He did all the heavy lifting. I'm so very grateful for his help. I'll always remember not only his professionalism, but also his kindness.
Audrey OgletreeAudrey Ogletree
22:19 09 Mar 24
From: Laurence OgletreeI received good assistance from Stephens & Stephens in submitting the recent claim for increased impairment benefits from the Energy Workers program.
Randy MooreRandy Moore
14:48 07 Mar 24
I was a machinist at Honeywell F.M.&T.and developed bilateral tinnitus and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. They helped me file a claim with EEOICPA in 2017. Stephen’s & Stephen’s was very good to work with, they take care of all the paperwork and help with any paperwork I receive from the Department of Labor. They stay on top of things helping with scheduling impairment reviews etc.I feel that without their help this would have been a very overwhelming process.I plan on still using them if any other illnesses occur due to my employment with Honeywell.
Mike DauzatMike Dauzat
15:54 02 Mar 24
I highly recommend Stevens and Stevens. Hugh Stevens and his staff are very professional and very friendly. They're extremely good at making sure you get the full amount of money you deserve. If you need a DOL lawyer, I highly recommend this team. I can't be more happy that I picked Stevens and Stevens.
Mary YbarraMary Ybarra
01:33 27 Feb 24
Stephen’s and Stephen’s has kept fight for my dad. Now they are fight for my mom. They are on top of things and I would recommend them to anyone who needs help and guidance with the Uranium mines.
Dianne HarperDianne Harper
01:02 17 Feb 24
Robert and I are very pleased with Mr. Hugh Stephens and all that he has done for us. From the first moment we spoke, we sensed that though Mr. Stephens exhibits sharp business acumen, he cares deeply about his clients and he has a huge heart.
Diane pontonDiane ponton
17:38 07 Feb 24
I tried to get others to help me with this claim, and it wasn"t until I hired Mr. Stephens that things started happening. I would recommend any one to get in touch with him . I would go to him again, if i ever needed to.
Judy LeonardJudy Leonard
22:26 06 Feb 24
I very much appreciate the successful litigation concerning my husband's Hanford work related illness. Stephens & Stephens LLP were thorough, caring, considerate, and fair during this difficult time.
Kenneth GKenneth G
18:23 03 Feb 24
Mr. Stephens was able to simplify an otherwise complicated lengthy process (DEEOIC) to file an initial claim as well as a claim for impairment benefits.
dave DONAIDdave DONAID
18:08 03 Feb 24
Frankie KnucFrankie Knuc
19:24 08 Jan 24
I had other attorneys hired in Cortez, Colorado and Grand Jct., Colorado to assist me with receiving my uranium claim, but they were not successful. I was advised by an employee of CNS of Stephens & Stephens, LLP good work. I contacted them & they took my case It was settled very quickly. I have been very pleased with this group & would advise others of their prompt service. I would recommend them to others. Respectfully, Frankie Knuckles
Rebecca ConsolRebecca Consol
19:57 22 Dec 23
My family used Stephen’s and Stephen’s for a settlement case. We were extremely pleased with all they did. They were very professional, easy to get a hold of, and invaluable when it came to answering questions and handling complicated Department of Labor issues and forms. They also did everything in a very timely manner. I have already recommended them to other people.
Thomas CliffordThomas Clifford
15:29 21 Dec 23
I have been represented by Hugh Stevens for several years now, He and his staff has made everything so easy for me. I had lung cancer from working in the uranium processing industry, they have opened so many doors for me and made dealing with DOL so much easier. They always answer my questions in a very timely manner. I have referred several other people to him and he has been able to get them through this process also. There are benefits that I was not aware of that he has brought to my attention and been able to lead me through the process of obtaining them. I would most highly recommend him to lead anyone through this process.
Lonnie killingHawkLonnie killingHawk
02:35 14 Dec 23
When I first contacted Stephens & Stephens I was at the end of my rope with DOL. Hough and his staff got me on track and handled everything with DOL and just made this process so easy. Do not know where I'd be with out them. They are able to communicate at a layman's level and understand the client. Would strongly recommend this firm.
Ruthy LyonRuthy Lyon
21:00 28 Sep 23
Our initial conversation with Mr. Stephens was productive & reassuring. His previous experience with similar cases was obvious and very helpful, in both asking us specific questions for clarification & also addressing our own questions. Breanna is also a great asset to their team.
James O'DayJames O'Day
15:07 13 Sep 23
I have referred several friends to Hugh Stephens and they were more satisfied than they ever expected. I would refer him with confidence to anyone in need. I trust when he speaks for me, for example, in court. He is a good communicator and a deep thinker. He is well respected in his profession. He handles environmental law, injury law, and medical malpractice. He is tactful and direct and knows what he is doing. He knows the legal briar patches well.
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EEOICPA Best Filing Practices ~ relevant periods of employment

We have been considering a post or two about what we think are some of the best practices for EEOICPA claim presentation and development. With that in mind, this post will start to present some best practices to employ when making a claim for benefits under the EEOICPA.

PART B

When making a claim under Part B, one of the first steps is the filing of the claim, which necessarily includes information about the relevant period of employment. We tend to be expansive in our view of what should be included in the relevant period of employment. For example, if you are claiming benefits as a survivor, you might include 1950 to 1955 as your best recollection of your parent’s period of employment. However, employment that you did not know about in 1945 may be inadvertently excluded from the social security records search. Therefore, searching the broader period of 1944 through 1961 might lead to more information from social security.

The Department of Labor (DOL) will assist claimants with requests for records from Social Security. This is useful because the turn around is likely to be much quicker than if you take this record collection task on yourself. The Claims Examiner (CE) has prepared many requests for Social Security earnings statements and will obtain that record quite quickly. If the CE uses a restrictive potential employment period, the effort involved in making the new request can be significant and unnecessary, so we generally tend to include the dates around the period of known employment to attempt to capture unknown employment especially where we represent survivors who are not completely sure of where their relative worked and when. The employment usually occurred long ago, so we should try not to assume we know exactly when it commences and when it was completed unless we have pretty specific information.

From time to time our claimants learn late in the claims process that the worker involved had qualifying employment outside the time period addressed in the initial social security earnings statement. If you find yourself in this circumstance or have questions about obtaining a social security earnings statement, give us a call at (716) 852-7590.

PART E

With respect to claims for benefits under Part E, we often find that difficulties can arise after a doctor has been asked to write a letter linking occupational exposure to a toxic or otherwise hazardous substance to a current illness or condition such as asbestosis or COPD. Many claimants, doctors, and advocates know the standard under Part E which requires a showing that the occupational exposure be at least as likely as not (50% or greater likelihood), a significant factor in, the aggravation of, contribution to, or causation of, the illness or condition.

However, many claimants, doctors and advocates do not focus on the statutory requirements:

(1) that the letter report contain detailed objective findings, based, if possible, in part on clinical testing, imaging and other tests and

(2) a detailed rationale, supported by citations to relevant peer reviewed literature, for the finding that describes the objective testing and other relevant information which supports the conclusion that there is a causal connection between the occupational exposure and the illness or condition.

We encourage claimants, advocates and doctors to treat the government like any other business or insurance company that seeks to require detailed support before paying claims. The Final Adjudication Branch (FAB) is required by the EEOICPA to make their decisions based on very specific information. This information must include the scientifically backed conclusions of medical experts that your Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is at least as likely as not caused by your three year exposure to cement dust 30 years ago, not the opinion of a physician who has simply treated you generally over the years.

While it might sometimes seem that the Department of Labor is never satisfied, the payments made under the program are significant and the procedures are designed to prevent the payment of claims without sufficient evidence, in order that benefits will continue to be available for all deserving parties.

Learn more about our EEOICPA claim support services.