Hall Ansley, P.C.

Missouri has seen an increase in crashes caused by phones.

Working with Hall Ansley, P.C., our goal was to break the tired *insert attorney firm here* commercial formula with an organic, relatable, and fresh concept. This Friday, see our not-your-average-attorney approach that just won a Bronze in the national Telly Awards.

THIS JUST HAPPENED - In a 6/3 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that Title VII protections apply to gay and transgender persons! The case: Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia.

When any of these 3 factors are present, it might be time to consult another professional.

Gov. Mike Parson has implemented an emergency change to the Missouri Worker's Compensation law, effective April 22, 2020 and expiring February 1, 2021. Are you a first responder? The new law defines this as law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical technicians. If so, and if you been infected by or quarantined due to the coronavirus, then under Missouri's workers compensation laws you are deemed and presumed to have contracted a contagious or communicable... occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the performance of your employment. This emergency declaration allows first responders to prove, without further evidence, that if they have contracted the coronavirus it will be deemed to be covered by the workers compensation system, regardless of any non- work exposure. First responders would be entitled to missed work benefits and a permanent impairment award, plus future medical treatment necessary. If you are a first responder under this emergency declaration, and have contracted the coronavirus, we will be happy to talk to you, free of charge. Note that Gov. Parson’s emergency order, and the presumption, don't seem to apply to other healthcare workers like nurses and doctors. If you are a healthcare worker not covered by the emergency order, we will address your potential recovery for a coronavirus diagnosis in a later post. https://labor.mo.gov//f/8_CSR_50-5.005_Emergency_Final.pdf

The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ (DOLIR’s) Division of Employment Security (DES) is encouraging the self-employed, gig workers, and independent contractors whose businesses have been impacted by the coronavirus to apply for unemployment assistance. Under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, those who qualify will be eligible for weekly benefit payments of between $133 and $320 per week plus a $600 federal supplement available under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. The federal guidelines provide the FPUC payments only apply to weeks payable from March 29, 2020, through July 25, 2020. These two programs are not regular unemployment insurance, but are new, fully federally funded assistance programs.

"The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ (DOLIR’s) Division of Employment Security (DES) began issuing the $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments yesterday with a total of $66 million in benefits paid out to over 115,000 claimants. Eligible claimants should begin seeing their payments within the next few days, depending on how long their banks hold funds."

Governor Parson issued an emergency rule expanding Workers’ Compensation coverage for First Responders. This new rule creates a presumption that First Responders infected by or quarantined due to COVID-19 are deemed to have contracted a contagious or communicable occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the performance of their employment. The new rule defines a First Responder as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or EMT who has contracted or is quarantined for COVID-19. Even though this rule becomes effective April 22, 2020, the emergency rule is written to apply retroactively to all First Responders who otherwise meet the requirements in the emergency rule. This is fantastic news for some. But why not healthcare providers and grocery store workers? Should this order be expanded? What do you think?

When drivers are hurt in a collision, saying or doing the wrong thing after the crash could harm their chances of receiving fair compensation.

We at Hall Ansley salute the brave and really heroic efforts of our Missouri healthcare workers helping to care for the sick during this coronavirus outbreak. Our healthcare workers are fighting to protect our lives and health while potentially exposing themselves to a deadly or at least life-changing virus. Reports are surfacing that if the virus does not lead to death it could nevertheless result in some level of permanent lung damage. At Hall Ansley, we would be happy to ...Continue reading

I started representing employees in 1998. It was my first year out of law school. No one in the firm did employment law, so with a little supervision from the partners I just started taking cases. I was more confident than I had any reason to be - but I wanted to help people in their conflict and crisis. One of my great fortunes in this life has been the opportunity to be a part of the lives of my clients. So here we are in 2020. Terminations and layoffs daily as companies ...struggle to keep their footing in a pandemic. None of us have answers for all the problems created by coronavirus, but there are things we can do to help each other through this. If you are an employee laid off in April and need someone to look at your severance agreement, provide guidance on your non-compete, or give you suggestions for handling unemployment, give us a call. There is no charge. We will be answering our phones and returning calls to help employees FOR FREE. If we can take some time to walk you through things, we are happy to do it. Keep in mind, due to the complexity of some issues and the scope of people affected, we have to be mindful of the time we spend with each person. You can speak with Tim Ricker, Adam Pihana, Steve Blair, or myself, Ben Stringer. We have all committed to taking your calls (417-890-8700). In the meantime, be good to each other out there.

What if I get hurt while working from home during the shelter in place? Thousands of Missouri employees are now being required to work from home as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Being able to work from home not only provides you security in your job, but also plays an integral role in keeping Missouri businesses open. While working from home used to be an occasional convenience, home workers are now truly a second employment location where work is required to be perfo...Continue reading

While taking all necessary steps to protect our staff and attorneys, we remain OPEN to assist you in this difficult time. Under the 'stay at home' Order issued by Springfield-Greene County leaders effective March 26, financial services (including banks, insurance providers, and professional services required to comply with legal and regulatory requirements) are considered 'essential services' permitted to remain open. As such, we continue to work to assist our current and future clients to navigate this uncertain climate. We hope everyone is taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones and staying safe.