Many people do not believe that they need to hire a work injury lawyer if their injuries are not severe enough. However, work injuries can require extensive medical care with long periods of time off duty.
There is always a risk of permanent disability, which is why you should not hesitate to look into work injury settlements. The workers comp system can be tricky to dispute or handle your own claims.
If you have ever been injured at work, this article describes when to seek an expert to help you get the compensation you deserve. Here is why you can benefit greatly by calling a work injury lawyer today instead of getting lost in the process when you are dealing with a lot of pain.
Why Hire a Work Injury Lawyer?
A work injury lawyer can provide tremendous support if you feel frustrated by disputes with your insurance company. You should have someone on your side to represent you and stand up for your medical needs.
To claim workers comp, you will need to compile a lot of evidence to challenge your workplace or insurance company’s position. This may involve depositions, independent medical exams, and hiring expert witnesses.
The entire process can go much more smoothly if you have someone with top legal skills and knowledge fighting for your rights.
Handling Denied Claims
Many insurance companies deny workers comp claims for several reasons. For instance, your company can say that your injury was not work-related and that you got hurt at the pub or out on the street after your shift. There is also a risk of being dismissed if you do not file your claim on time.
Denials can happen to anyone, which is why you should appeal the decision through the workers comp system. The process of appealing a denial depends on the state you live in.
Generally, you would need to file some formal paperwork and present your case at a court hearing. This is where a lawyer comes in handy because they do all the administrative work for you and represent your case. Then you can focus on recovering from those injuries.
Your Permanent Disability Is Disputed
Most workers benefit from compensation when they suffer from a permanent disability that has put them out of work for a while. The payment you receive will be calculated according to your permanent disability rating.
Some insurance companies may disagree with the rating assigned by your doctor. Then you may need to go for an independent medical examination with a health professional they chose. The new doctor will most likely give you a lower disability rating.
This will provide an insurance company with all the justification they need to pay you less than what you deserve. This is when you need to seek out the best work injury lawyer to convince a judge that you are entitled to a much higher rating to get a fair settlement to compensate for your work-related injuries.
To find out more about work injury settlements, check out https://www.greenbergrubylaw.com/work-injury-settlements.
You Have Preexisting Conditions
If you have preexisting injuries or conditions that keep affecting the same body part you use for work, you will need a work injury lawyer while facing an uphill battle. This is because an insurance company will most likely blame you for causing your own injuries based on your previous condition.
They will not leave room to discuss how work activities worsened your preexisting condition by developing slowly over time as you kept exerting yourself. Some injuries do not occur after one work accident.
Your lawyer will contest this fact on your behalf to ensure that repetitive stress injuries be taken as seriously as any other harm caused in a workplace.
You Are Struggling to Get Treated
Your workplace and insurance company may fight to delay or deny your medical treatments. Surgeries are very costly. Without enough support, you may not have the funds to pay for your own long-term care. Your lawyer can pressure an insurance company to approve any medical treatments you need.
Without legal help, you may be running around back and forth arguing and spending valuable time when you should be resting. Having a workplace injury attorney is beneficial to get your treatments scheduled promptly.
You Cannot Work Anymore
A workplace injury often affects a person in such a way that they can never work again. This is where you will need to maximize your workers comp to support yourself in the future. Then you can have some funds to get by until you recover and change careers.
Is a Work Injury Lawyer Worth the Cost?
Many lawyers do not charge an hourly rate. They may charge you a contingency fee, which is a percentage they take from any workers comp benefits you are awarded after the case that will help you recover. However, you should keep in mind that your state may put a cap on contingency fees for workers comp.
The percentage varies from one state to another, but it is mostly under 25%. In some cases, the cost can even be as low as 10%. This should not dissuade you from hiring a lawyer because their help can get you a larger settlement offer than going through the process on your own.
Work injury lawyers are highly skilled and know how to negotiate effectively with all the legal tools at their disposal to build you the strongest winning case. Thanks to them, you will most likely get a lot more benefits than anticipated before they get to take their fee.
Speak to your local law firm today to determine how much you can claim for your workplace injury. Before hiring a lawyer, find out how much experience they have winning cases like yours.
Analyze their track record before bringing them on board to ensure that the person you hire has all the confidence and legal expertise to fight your case.
Fight for Your Compensation Today
Many people are not aware of their rights until they hire a work injury lawyer. In many cases, the management team and insurance companies try to pay the bare minimum. This is prevalent if the injured employee does not know how much they can claim.
Even the legal process itself is tricky because there is a lot of administrative work that most people with an injury cannot keep up with. Hiring the right lawyer can help you claim maximum compensation, especially if your workplace injury has affected your ability to ever work again.
If you enjoyed reading this legal guide, check out some of our other articles for more information.
