The Civil unrest in Benton Harbor
Michigan in June of 2003 left
deep wounds in both the community
and in the life of Michigan State
Trooper, Tim Slais. When Trooper
Slais and his detachment of fellow
Troopers were responding to a disturbance,
an armed subject shot Tpr.
Slais with the bullet entering and
exiting his left arm, causing according
to the press, non-life threatening
wounds.
When Tpr. Timothy Slais awoke
the next day he had no idea that his
career as a State Trooper would
come to an end as a result of the
permanent injuries and damage to
the nerves in his left arm. Medical
treatment and therapy for constant
variant pain has had no affect on his
permanent disabling injuries. A
world renowned pain specialist
placed the following restrictions on
Tpr. Slais’s return to work. “Tpr.
Slais cannot perform duties requiring
him to be exposed to inclement
weather, excessive hot and cold
weather, or repetitive extended use
of his left upper extremity causing
vibration in his left hand.
After nearly three years of treatment
Tpr. Slais received notification
that his career as a State Trooper
was over and that he would be
placed into disability retirement at
the age of 35. Tpr. Slais would have
to face a 40% reduction in wages
without the additional eligibility for
overtime, holiday pay, shift
differential and other forms of
compensation he was eligible for
as an active State Trooper.
Workers Compensation has a
legal obligation to compensate the
difference between his disability
retirement and his wage prior to
injury. This requirement has statutory
maximum payout periods that
injured workers must be compensated.
This financial requirement
can be minimized by the Workers
Compensation system administrators
by finding employment for the
injured worker. In the Slais case
the Workers Compensation Third
Party Administrator sent the case
to a return to work specialist,
Roger Riley from Starr & Associates
for Vocational Rehabilitation
services to locate any job that Tpr.
Slais could perform.
Continued...
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