>> My name is Charisse Collins, and I am an attorney.
I represent employers and insurance companies in Workers Compensation matters.
So if someone says that they get hurt on the job, we are on the other side investigating,
making sure it actually happened.
There are people who are out of work on Workers Compensation benefits,
and like to take advantage of that.
So there are ways to get them into court to kind
of cut off those benefits to get them back to work.
So it sounds a little mean, but it's actually, we pay the ones who are injured and the ones
who are not, those are the ones we kind of have to go after.
So a person will report an injury to their employer.
They report it to the insurance company.
If they file a claim/petition, then the petition is assigned to our office.
We have to file an answer, which tells the judges there's someone on the other side.
First the claimant, was the injured worker, will testify.
We subpoena all types of records, to get as much information as we can.
We determine what witnesses will need to defend against the petition, if necessary.
The claimant's doctor will testify, talking about the injuries and what happened.
Our doctor will examine the claimant, and then he will testify.
Any fact witnesses, you know, if the claimant says that they fell down the steps,
the manager was there and saw them and said, "Nobody fell down the steps that day."
We would have him come in and testify.
We are in court several times throughout the case, telling the judge,
"This is status of the case, judge."
If issues come up between the attorneys, we, you know, bring that before the judge, and then,
finally, there will be a final hearing where all evidence is presented,
and we have to write a brief that we submit those briefs.
The judge will make a decision, and then we go from there.
Either we appeal or we accept the decision as it is.