This Article Written for Willhoite Law, PLLC
If a person has sustained an injury at the workplace that can be quite a traumatic experience for that person. Nobody ever really expects that they will fall victim to an accident while carrying out their services in the workplace. We all take every precaution we can to make sure that we carry out our work in a secure manner but, accidents do occur. Most of the time an accident will occur due to factors that we have no control over. Although there is no way you can control an injury you may sustain, you can control what happens after the injury by filing what is known as workers compensation claims. If your injury means a trip to the hospital there is sure to be a doctor’s report, if it’s not too serious to attend your own doctor’s surgery as soon as you can and file a report there.
Workplace injuries can be a very sensitive topic and they can often time be hard to prove to the extent of getting full benefits, full pay while away from work and medical bills paid for that are related to the injury. It is vital for the person who has been injured at work to report the injury to the company as soon as it has occurred; just to be sure it shows in court that everything was documented. Having a paper trail throughout the whole process will support your case and make sure you get full compensation for any medical related bill.
Understanding workers compensation laws is important for every worker so that you know that the right kind of coverage is in place when you become injured. Your company should adhere to occupational health and safety practices to assure that your workplace is secure. As a worker, it is also your obligation to assure that safe work practices are followed. Most of the time companies are pretty good at compensating a claim immediately although there are other companies though that need a little prompting.
The hospital or medical facility that you attend will ask about how you were injured at work. This procedure is one of the first steps in making sure that your workers compensation claims are filed in the right manner. You need to describe to them that your injuries were sustained at work so if there are any medical bills they will be directed to the company and not you. You should be supposed to be tested for alcohol and drugs in order to determine that the accident was not brought on by you. If should there be any hint of either substance then the insurance company will use this as proof that you were negligent at the workplace.
While most of the companies are reliable and pay out on claims efficiently there are some that will try everything not to have to pay up. They may direct any bills back to you or pay only a percentage or decline to pay any compensation outright. This is in direct breach of the law. You could encounter other problems if you did not report that your injury was sustained at work when you visited a medical facility.
If you should have any problems when filling out the paperwork associated in filing workers compensation claims do not feel bad about it, these forms tend to be made as difficult as possible for the average person to understand therefore increasing any payment they may have to make. If this is the case then you need to get a good workers comp lawyer on board. Make sure that they are well experienced in workers compensation claims. In this way, they will know exactly how your claim should be filed and what action can be taken to protect your rights.
For those that have sustained on the work injuries, it is essential that you do two things immediately, first seek immediate medical care and second, hire a workers comp lawyer. Do not talk to others or give your opinion on an accident at work, and certainly, do not admit fault or talk to insurance company lawyers before you have consulted your own workers comp lawyer. The reasons for this might be obvious, but if you have sustained permanent disability and will need ongoing medical treatment, your medical fees and loss of income can be compensated through workers compensation claims, if you are eligible.
An expert workers comp lawyer at Willhoite Law, PLLC that specializes in workers compensation claims will be able to advise you of your rights to compensation and will be ready to take your case on a contingency basis. What this means is that you can get a free first consultation to see if you have a claim and they will handle the negotiations for you, without any money from your pocket. In the event settlement is made, there will be an agreed-upon amount or percentage that goes to the lawyer, but evidence has shown that claims involving a lawyer have a better success rate and result in better settlement compensation.
It is important that you seek expert legal advice, as early as you can, after the incident has happened. This makes it easier to get witness accounts that are accurate and there may be time limits on making certain workers compensation claims. You need an expert medical evaluation because this can determine your need for ongoing medical treatment and can determine the extent of your medical injury. Your time off work can be determined by the outcome of these evaluations and your course of medical treatment depends on it, too. A good workers comp lawyer will be able to understand the aspects of your case and get to the center of the problems that you are suffering.
In addition, you will need to talk with a knowledgeable lawyer to get your claim started and this will allow for faster payment of medical bills and help speed the settlement negotiations for your lost wages. Determining the extent of your financial compensation depends on the extent of your medical injuries, but these need to be properly documented and a legal expert in workers comp cases can help you through the process. Once the workers comp lawyer gets involved, there needs to be a clear defense strategy in place and an expert is what you need to look for when you are searching for the proper legal representation.