After an injury on the job, calling a lawyer might not be at the top of your list. If there was no one else involved, you might think it pointless, because there is no one to sue. However, if the injury happened on the job, you should contact an attorney immediately who specializes in workers’ compensation cases.
Why do I need to contact a lawyer if there won’t be litigation?
Even if no one is technically “at fault” in your injury, if it happened at work you are entitled to benefits that could cover not only medical bills but lost wages while you recuperate. Filing the claim is not as easy as it looks on the surface, and hiring someone well-versed with the ins and outs of the system is essential to ensure that you get the benefits you deserve.
The government has created a detailed system for filing claims in order to combat fraud, but an unwanted side effect of the strictness of the benefits process is that people who have legitimate workplace injuries are often denied because they did not follow the proper procedures.
As soon as you know you are going to be filing a claim, you should seek out professional help to get you through the process. There are a great number of legal teams that specialize in helping people get their just benefits through the system, and have numerous years working towards that goal, much like tax attorneys who work to save people money when they file their returns.
What are the benefits of hiring a Workers’ Comp Attorney?
Working with an experienced Workers’ Comp attorney has a great number of benefits, including the following:
- Handling all communication: when you file there are a number of people who are involved and who will need to be communicated with, including your employer and the adjusters working the case. Knowing what to say and how to say it can keep your case moving along and prevent it from being denied. Too often, well-meaning employees will offer too much information or tend to take responsibility for their own injuries in communication, and working with an attorney would prevent that.
- Navigating the system: the laws surrounding workplace injuries and compensation are incredibly complicated, and if you have no experience in this area it only makes sense to get help from an expert who can guide you through so your claim doesn’t get denied. If you are disabled as a result of the injury, teaching yourself about the laws while trying to navigate the system can cause more stress and prolong your recovery. Putting the case in the hands of trained professionals allows you to concentrate on healing.
- Determining the damages: if you have no experience dealing with insurance claims and large medical bills, accurately estimating the amount of damages can be almost impossible. An attorney will be familiar with cases similar to yours, and understand the long-term implications of the injury and get you an award that covers the actual expenses and loss of income incurred with the injury.
Following the procedures in a timely manner, meeting the deadlines with accurate paperwork and navigating the system are the only ways to get you the compensation you deserve, and working with an experienced attorney can help make that happen.