Moving along

    Summer is finally over and Fall (Summer 2.0) is finally upon us here in Mississippi. Hopefully by the time Ole Miss is mathematically eliminated from bowl eligibility in football, it will finally feel like football season. Despite record high temperatures, it was an enjoyable Summer for our family, but it is nice to be back in the groove of things with school. Charlotte is back dancing and tumbling, while Sawyer is playing soccer, is involved in “ninja class” at school, and has recently taken on a now-nightly routine of howling at the moon before bed every night....

    Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, particularly as a kid who lived through the 80's and 90's, I vividly remember riding in the back of my dad’s truck on the fish farm, taking vacations to Disney World in our suburban with no middle seat while laying across the floor unrestrained, etc. Sawyer is now in a booster seat at 4 and Charlotte is still in her forward-facing chair strapped in as if she is going on an amusement park ride. At his age, and probably younger, I would sit in my dad’s lap as he drove his truck down the road. If you did this in 2019, you would be arrested and thrown under the jail. I have many fond memories of traveling at a young age, as many of you do. How many of you took a road trip growing up while sitting in the back of a Station Wagon?

    While it is no longer acceptable to travel in the back of a truck, in the workers’ comp arena, there are still needs for (safe) transportation routinely for our claimants. There are several instances when utilizing transportation, by comparison to paying mileage, can be of benefit to employers and carriers. Such scenarios would include:

1.    Nature of injury - The claimant may simply not be able to drive due to the extent of an injury. If medical accommodations are necessary due to the extent of an injury, the claimant driving may not be an option.
2.    Occupation - When dealing with a traveling employee, particularly if the claimant does not have a personal vehicle, assisting with transportation may be the only option.
3.    Medications - If a claimant is under narcotics, for example, employers and carriers can avoid the risk of a motor vehicle accident to/from appointments by simply providing transportation.
4.    Medical non-compliance - In a scenario where a claimant is possibly malingering or has unreliable transportation, particularly for an EME where there is a significant pre-payment, it is often a good idea to arrange transportation to ensure the claimant has reliable transportation and is on time for treatment in order to keep progressing medical towards recovery without any lapse in care due to unforeseen issues.
5.    Guaranteed rates - In the event you are having significant issues with mileage reimbursement or timely requests for same, you can arrange transportation on the onset and dictate your travel exposure more accurately when reserving files.

    There are numerous scenarios where obtaining transportation is necessary, but it is also more reliable and takes away an unnecessary variable in certain claims. If you need assistance with transportation issues in the future, my friends at Priority Transportation & Translation Services (PTS) are a reliable company that is based out of New Orleans but also operating throughout the Southeast. Feel free to reach out to me regarding any issues related to transportation or also contact my friend, Carlos Ayestas, if they can assist you as well.

Carlos Ayestas III, CMSP
Vice President - Client Relations
Cell: (504) 813-7648
Transport Referrals:  transport@my-priority.com
Translation Referrals: referrals@my-priority.com
www.my-priority.com