Accident lawyers can help you when you’ve sustained a workplace injury. While many companies make an effort to create a safe work environment for their employees, accidents can still happen and should be properly reported.
Reporting a workplace injury is one of the most important things you can do after suffering the injury. Many people simply shrug off the injury without reporting it if they do not require immediate medical attention. However, if you don’t report the accident right away then you may be denied compensation for medical treatment and missed work. By following the proper procedures and reporting any workplace accidents you can help eliminate potential issues in the future.
Why You Should Hire an Accident Lawyer
In most states, if you suffer a workplace injury then your employer’s insurance will cover any treatment and additional costs associated with the injury. However, occasionally you can run into difficulties during the process so it is recommended that you hire an accident lawyer.
There are a number of ways an accident lawyer can help you with your claim. In some cases, when you have a minor injury and your employer’s insurer is working with you, you may not need to hire an accident lawyer. However, in more complex cases with more serious injuries, you will want to consider hiring an accident lawyer to represent you.
You should hire an accident lawyer in the event that your claim is denied or benefits are not provided to you in a timely manner. Many claims are routinely rejected in hopes that the injured employee will fail to appeal. However, with an accident lawyer in your corner, they will be more likely to take your claim seriously. If your claim has already been denied, then an accident lawyer can help you get your claim appealed and back on track.
With many injuries, there is a predefined amount that is distributed for each injury category. However, this amount may not be adequate depending on the specific details of your injury and situation. If the settlement offer isn’t enough to cover the full amount of your medical bills and lost wages, or even if you just don’t feel that it’s a fair compensation then your accident lawyer will be there to discuss the settlement with you and advise if they feel that you are entitled to more.
There are also some cases where your injury may prevent you from returning to work in the capacity in which you were previously employed. There are also instances where you won’t be able to return to the same type of work if the injury was severe. If the workplace injury resulted in permanent partial or total disability, then you could be entitled to either a lump-sum payment or lifetime weekly payments to compensate you for your lost wages. Since these types of cases can be very costly to insurance companies they will often offer lower settlements to try to save themselves money. Having an accident lawyer who understands the ins and outs of workplace injury laws and workers’ compensation laws can be extremely important to securing a fair and adequate settlement.
Other Ways that Your Accident Lawyer Can Help You
After filing your workplace injury claim, there may be unexpected consequences that don’t directly involve your injury but affect your life negatively. For example, your boss may take your claim personally and take negative action on your job. You may be fired, demoted, given fewer hours, less pay, or face other discrimination from either your employer or coworkers. An accident lawyer will help ensure that things like this don’t happen to you.
After suffering an extensive workplace injury, it can be difficult to focus on your claim while recovering. An accident lawyer will help you file the necessary forms and help you meet deadlines while collecting evidence and documents for your case. They’ll also be able to estimate the worth of your claim and help you know when a settlement is fair or not. They can also help tilt the scales in your favor by using their expertise to help get your employer’s insurance company to cooperate and reach a fair settlement.
Your accident lawyer can also help ensure that your claim and settlement are structured properly so Social Security doesn’t take a large portion of your benefits. You are also permitted to sue a third party if their negligence contributed to your injury and your accident lawyer will be able to help with this action as well. For example, if you are injured on the job, but at the fault of an outside source, your accident lawyer can help you file a civil suit against the third party to hold them accountable as well.
If you’re ever in doubt about hiring an accident lawyer for your claim, then it’s always a good idea to set up a free consultation to determine if your case is something that could benefit from legal representation.