workers comp.

people, man, adult

When an Interpreter´s Ethics are Tested – Part II

My previous blog described a claimant desperately beseeching assistance. I remained strong and reminded myself of the code of ethics and why they are in place. Sometimes following the ethical course feels unethical or wrong; it is a thought-out, logical process that at times conflicts with our feeling of right and wrong. Case Number Two […]

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people, man, adult

When an Interpreter’s Ethics are Tested

Lately I have had a couple of difficult cases that tested my ethical professionalism. Case number one. Mr. Gabriel Dominguez (obviously I changed the names or else I would be in trouble for confidentiality issues) had a serious injury on the job which required surgery and extensive therapy. A nurse case manager worked closely and

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Liar, Liar. What’s an interpreter to do?

Every once in a while, I find myself interpreting for someone I’m quite sure is packing a pretty good lie. There are the common lies among undocumented workers: the purchased ID, fake names, and Social Security number. When the patient is asked his name, he pauses to remember what it is. When asked for the

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An argument for professional interpreters – False Cognates

It is very common for me to be told “I don’t think that this claimant needs an interpreter. I believe he knows enough English to get by.” I also often hear, “Oh, we don’t need an interpreter because we have someone who knows quite a bit of Spanish.” Of course, as often is the case,

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frustrated black man talking to female psychologist or friend

How do empathetic beings stay unbiased?

I’ll never forget the day I was sitting down with my fiancée and her bridesmaids watching a tragic movie. At the end of the movie, during a heart-wrenching scene, I began to feel the emotion welling up inside. I was about to cry, so instead I burst out in laughter. Needless to say, none of

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ask blackboard chalk board chalkboard

Reasons why you should not hire a qualified professional interpreter.

My contemporaries shamelessly self-promote and provide their own delusional reasons as to why only qualified professional interpreters (themselves) should be hired. How ridiculous is that! They use words such as ethics, standards or worse yet, liability to strong-arm potential clients to use them instead of saving tons of money using Google translate or the extraordinary

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woman in black blazer talking on the phone

Bad News! The Adjuster

Imagine having the great responsibility for providing care to an injured worker. He isn’t just an injured worker, though. He is also a son, a loving husband, and a father or uncle that has always provided for his family. He is a good man, a hard worker, loyal and generally kind. He was an active

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Confirming Calls

Some of our clients will send us an e-mail with the name of the claimant and his contact info and saying “please take care of it.” I know what that means. It means that our company needs to contact the patient and get whatever information that is lacking in order to bill the case. It

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A thumb is not a toe! II

The telephonic interpretation described in the previous blog was a big mess! Some very basic Spanish was interpreted incorrectly. A thumb is not a toe! Let me clarify.  I strongly believe that telephonic interpreting is very important. In fact, under certain circumstances, it might be the only way to provide a badly needed interpreter.  No

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Why are workers’ comp interpreters hated? Part III

As previously mentioned, there are serious problems in the industry. The larger the agency, the more difficult it is to maintain quality control.  Due to these problems, there is real danger for trouble to brew.

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