Midwest Disability Scam Misleading Overworked Underpaid Shoody Kansas City Missouri

I was employed with this company for two years. I had obtained my Paralegal Degree and was fresh in the law field. The KC location was a fairly new branch of the Minnesota Office Headquarters. To say the KC office was helter skelter is an understatment. They had sent an incompetent attorney down from Minnesota who knew nothing at all about running his own business thus the office staff and client care reflected this. This office is located in a tiny, tiny building which houses at least 8 employees. I was hired as a caseworker. All the caseworkers are sausaged into a tiny cubicle with hardly no air circulation. A caseworker is assigned many, many clients whom they keep in contact with via telephone.

At one point, I was attempting to service over 450 clients which is nearly impossible. The lawyers do not meet with their clients until the day of the hearing (if one is conducted). They prefer it like this. The lawyers are to busy going to court to collect their payments instead of taking the time to meet with their clients. You see...the lawyers will get 25% or $6,000, which ever is the lesser..(compenstation at the time of my employment) of your money if you are granted a monetary award. So it is beneficial to the lawyers to cram in as many hearings as possible thus leaving no time to meet with their clients.

The solo lawyer who supposedly "ran" the KC office was away all the time at hearings thus leaving the office staff to fend for themselves. You can imagine the chaos that ensued. I was ambushed one morning by a crazed coworker who I understand is still employed there. In retrospect, I should have reported this to the police in hopes that she will not commit this insane act upon another person. I surmise that they were scared that I would report it and they fired me. The crazed coworker was not treated for her illnes..and you would have to have an illness to commit such a bizarre act..so I can only hope that there hasn't been more victims.

My contact with the clients was done entirely via phone or computer. And when I say contact..I use that word loosely as it's hard to keep in contact with 450 clients. So if you choose to sign up with this company, beware...your service will leave a lot to be desired. The lawyers have no time at all to personally meet with their clients and truthfully, the caseworkers have little or no time to talk with the clients. Often times, calls would go unanswered due to the very large volume of phone calls. The receptionist that they hired at the time..had very questionable skills. I did hear through the grapevine, that the Minnesota office sent down one of the lawyers son to "oversee" the KC office.

I highly doubt that this is effective as I am sure the current clients are still being "put off" and "pushed aside". Lastly, a little trick that I think you all should know about. The law firms does NOT collect your med records until if and when your hearing is scheduled. You see, technically, they are suppposed to start collecting your med records immediately. The Social Security Administration also collects your med records to prove your case, however, it is a goverment agency and redtape is involved. Anyway..my fuction as a "caseworker" did not involve collecting med records. Only when your case progressed to the hearing level did it involve the collecting of med records.

One of the main functions of the hearing tech is to collect med records for the client that is scheduled to go to a hearing in front of a judge. So in essence..if your med records are not being collected until the hearing phase..lots and lots of valuable time is being wasted..more time you have to wait for your judgment and/or monetary award. We all know how long the disability process can take and this practice only prolongs it longer. So to advise: Stay clear of this company if possible. The chaos that ensues behind closed doors will be reflected upon your services. Contact a disability advocate instead of an attorney. They are plentiful and will go to bat for you..and only you.