Sustaining an injury while at work is a tough situation for everyone involved. It’s not a position that an employee or an employer ever wants to find themselves in. However, work injuries do happen, and if you’ve been the victim of a work injury and need help with your worker’s compensation case, a good worker’s compensation lawyer can help.
How Do I Know If I Qualify for a Worker’s Compensation Claim?
If you’ve been injured at work, the process for filing a claim can be arduous and tricky to navigate. There are a number of organizations with whom you’ll need to file paperwork including, but not limited to:
- The worker’s compensation insurance company;
- Your state industrial commission;
- The necessary parties involved in your lawsuit (if your case should get to this point)
You are under no obligation to hire an attorney in a worker’s compensation case, however, navigating the tricky world of worker’s compensation law is not an easy prospect, and a lawyer can make the process much less stressful.
What are Some Common Workplace Injuries?
Depending on the nature of the facility in which you work, some injuries may be more common than others. However, some general injuries that often lead to worker’s compensation claims include:
- Bone fractures;
- Concussions/Traumatic Brain Injuries;
- Crushed fingers/toes;
- Amputations;
- Diseases as a result of exposure to toxic substances;
- Mental health issues such as PTSD;
- Spinal Cord Injuries;
- And many more.
The extent and type of your injury may vary, but if it is limiting your life or your ability to work in any way, you may be entitled to compensation.
Why are Worker’s Compensation Claims So Tricky?
Because of the nature of worker’s compensation claims, there are many interested parties who want the claim to be closed as quickly as possible, with as little money paid out as possible. This means that your employer may try to get you to sign papers or agree to take on a new job that will invalidate your old claim before you’ve recovered from your injuries. This could leave you stuck with huge medical bills and without an income to help cover the costs.
A good worker’s compensation lawyer will help you throughout the whole process of your workers compensation claim in all of the following ways:
- Filling out and filing forms with the correct entities;
- Determining extent of damages suffered;
- Obtaining medical records and other important documentation;
- Ensuring that you receive your payments in a timely manner and in the correct amount;
- Advising you on the best actions to take.
Your worker’s compensation lawyer is going to be in your corner throughout the entire process and will be your go-to person for any questions or situations that may arise.
Should I Hire a Worker’s Compensation Lawyer?
In the end, it’s up to you whether you decide to use a lawyer in your worker’s compensation case. As was stated earlier, you are not legally required to have an attorney represent you, but it may be a good idea due to the tricky nature of these cases. Call today for your free consultation with a competent worker’s compensation lawyer.
