Forward by Ron Meuser, Jr.

Jen Yackley & I originally met with Dana (who wrote the story below), her husband Ed and his service dog Rex to hear their story and learn how I can help. They founded an organization called Soldier’s 6 whose mission is to provide honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and firefighters with specially trained K-9 dogs. The support they provide these brave individuals is nothing short of amazing and, unfortunately, very needed. We hear from our police officer & firefighter clients with PTSD that the suffering doesn’t end when the job is over and many don’t want the job to end. Dana and Ed’s story is very real, heartbreaking, and a reminder that we must be continuously supportive in any way we can. Please join Meuser, Yackley & Rowland, P.A. in supporting this worthy organization by going to https://www.soldiers6.com/how-can-i-help.

There’s a growing body of evidence to suggest that COVID-19 continues to impact some patients long after the acute illness has resolved in the body. These ongoing symptoms have been categorized as “long COVID” or “long COVID-19”. At Meuser, Yackley & Rowland, we are representing a number of clients who are experiencing the lingering effects of their COVID-19 diagnosis and asking how this will affect their workers’ compensation claim.

I am often asked What is an IME? An IME is an independent medical evaluation. It’s an evaluation (also referenced as an examination) by the employer and the insurer’s medical expert to assess your injuries.

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in May 2020, riots and protests ensued for nearly two weeks in the Twin Cities. The destruction and violence associated with the riots generated international attention that placed Minneapolis front and center of the headlines as it dealt with the civil unrest. Many of the headlines involved the trauma that police officers and first responders were exposed to while carrying out their duties of protecting the communities; trauma that often includes actual physical harm and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that continue to scar them on a daily basis.