Workers Compensation Lawyer
Are you aware that someone gets injured at their work place every seven seconds? That means more than 500, 12,000 and 4,000,000 people get injured every hour, day and year, in that order. As a matter of fact, about 100 million production days are lost as a result of injuries at the work place. The figures are, without doubt, shocking. What is even more astounding is that most of the occurrences are actually preventable.
The top three events that lead to loss of precious time at the work place are:
Most of the work place injuries occur in the industries listed below:
It is important for employers to take requisite actions so as to spare their employees from unnecessary, unexpected and sometimes endless suffering and pain.
Why you may need to hire a work comp lawyer
In every state, there exists a set of rules and regulations that are specially formulated to compensate workers who get injured while carrying out duties at their work places. Employees can recoup lost wages, disability payments, a variety of medical expenses and other costs related to rehabilitation. Typically, the state administers the laws while employers contribute the required finances. Employees of the federal government also benefit from a program similar to this.
In attempts to minimize or completely eliminate risk for both parties (workers and employers), compensation laws have been enacted in all states to substitute conventional personal injury lawsuits. Outside of a reliable compensation system, any worker who falls sick or gets injured while carrying out official duties must file a court case to prove liability of the employer. However, unnecessary delays can occur. The worker may even lose that case and get absolutely nothing. It is therefore important to hire a good work comp lawyer.
What is the best course of action to take in disputed cases?
You may be shocked to learn, upon filing a compensation claim, that your employer is contesting it. The organization you work for may allege that the claim is invalid, void or voidable. Most employers tend to contest claims that they consider as improper, given that the rates paid into the system usually depend on volume of compensation claims paid on behalf of the employers. When this happens, the workers’ compensation board carries out investigations before delivering judgment. A work compensation lawyer can protect your interests in circumstances such as this.
Meanwhile, the worker will be examined by a medical doctor who works on the state government’s behalf. In such cases, right to confidentiality between the patient and doctor is waived. However, the physician is expected to remain impartial to both employer and employee. Remember that the employer can make use of any statement written or spoken during the medical examination to dispute severity of the injury or even claim that the occurrence was unrelated to work.
A worker has the right to file an appeal if the board delivers an undesirable verdict. Officials of the employees’ compensation department will listen and deliberate on the matter first. This means that a judge (expert on administrative law) conducts the hearing. The lawsuit will be further presented to an impartial review panel if a work comp lawyer files an appeal on the client’s behalf. The complainant can appeal even further in state court upon exhaustion of the administrative remedies described above.
Even though employees’ compensation premiums consume a paltry 2% of employers’ overall cost of running their organizations, disputes regarding compensation of victims often arise, particularly when workers seek (in the employers’ opinion) unmerited benefits. Situations sometimes deteriorate and transform into matters of principle. As a result, affected workers may experience a sense of vulnerability.
Why should I seek legal counsel?
Under the complex workers’ compensation system, the best course of action that you can ever take to safeguard your interests is to hire a reputable work comp lawyer. An attorney who has specialized in workers’ compensation law would be used to dealing with high- voltage court proceedings as well as employers who have the tendency of undermining workers’ rights. Additionally, a good work comp lawyer would know how to make sure that you get the right amount of compensation within the shortest period of time.
The top three events that lead to loss of precious time at the work place are:
- Over- exertion due to repetitive motions as well as continuous lowering/ lifting.
- Slipping, falling and tripping on the same or lower levels.
- Contact with assorted machinery and equipment.
Most of the work place injuries occur in the industries listed below:
- Public Safety (including law enforcement and firefighting).
- Transportation (particularly by road, rail and water-ways). Most of the injuries that occur in the aviation industry are fatal.
- Production and manufacturing.
- Construction (including buildings, roads, railway lines and bridges).
It is important for employers to take requisite actions so as to spare their employees from unnecessary, unexpected and sometimes endless suffering and pain.
Why you may need to hire a work comp lawyer
In every state, there exists a set of rules and regulations that are specially formulated to compensate workers who get injured while carrying out duties at their work places. Employees can recoup lost wages, disability payments, a variety of medical expenses and other costs related to rehabilitation. Typically, the state administers the laws while employers contribute the required finances. Employees of the federal government also benefit from a program similar to this.
In attempts to minimize or completely eliminate risk for both parties (workers and employers), compensation laws have been enacted in all states to substitute conventional personal injury lawsuits. Outside of a reliable compensation system, any worker who falls sick or gets injured while carrying out official duties must file a court case to prove liability of the employer. However, unnecessary delays can occur. The worker may even lose that case and get absolutely nothing. It is therefore important to hire a good work comp lawyer.
What is the best course of action to take in disputed cases?
You may be shocked to learn, upon filing a compensation claim, that your employer is contesting it. The organization you work for may allege that the claim is invalid, void or voidable. Most employers tend to contest claims that they consider as improper, given that the rates paid into the system usually depend on volume of compensation claims paid on behalf of the employers. When this happens, the workers’ compensation board carries out investigations before delivering judgment. A work compensation lawyer can protect your interests in circumstances such as this.
Meanwhile, the worker will be examined by a medical doctor who works on the state government’s behalf. In such cases, right to confidentiality between the patient and doctor is waived. However, the physician is expected to remain impartial to both employer and employee. Remember that the employer can make use of any statement written or spoken during the medical examination to dispute severity of the injury or even claim that the occurrence was unrelated to work.
A worker has the right to file an appeal if the board delivers an undesirable verdict. Officials of the employees’ compensation department will listen and deliberate on the matter first. This means that a judge (expert on administrative law) conducts the hearing. The lawsuit will be further presented to an impartial review panel if a work comp lawyer files an appeal on the client’s behalf. The complainant can appeal even further in state court upon exhaustion of the administrative remedies described above.
Even though employees’ compensation premiums consume a paltry 2% of employers’ overall cost of running their organizations, disputes regarding compensation of victims often arise, particularly when workers seek (in the employers’ opinion) unmerited benefits. Situations sometimes deteriorate and transform into matters of principle. As a result, affected workers may experience a sense of vulnerability.
Why should I seek legal counsel?
Under the complex workers’ compensation system, the best course of action that you can ever take to safeguard your interests is to hire a reputable work comp lawyer. An attorney who has specialized in workers’ compensation law would be used to dealing with high- voltage court proceedings as well as employers who have the tendency of undermining workers’ rights. Additionally, a good work comp lawyer would know how to make sure that you get the right amount of compensation within the shortest period of time.