Below are some reasons injured worker needs to get a good workers’ compensation lawyer to represent him or her in a case. This list goes on and on as to what Insurance Carrier try to do to limit their liability and paid out in a claim. If you are experiencing any of the below issues or any other problems with an insurance carrier or doctor, call us today.
To Properly and Timely Report and File Your Claim:
- If you have injured yourself on the job, the first thing you need to do is report it immediately to your supervisor and request medical treatment.
- Many times, employers send injured workers home to rest and take a few days off before sending them to a doctor.
- It is extremely important that you contact an attorney to get you to a doctor as soon as possible in order to document your injuries and initially diagnose your conditions.
- While you have up to 30 days to report an injury, the longer you wait the better chance there is for the insurance carrier to dispute your claim.
Our Attorneys Will Fight to Get Your Claim Accepted:
- Has your claim been denied?
- If so, you need to call one of our lawyers immediately.
- Our lawyers will find out why your claim is not being accepted and fight for you against the insurance carrier for you to receive the treatment and benefits you are entitled to for sustaining a work-related injury.
To Get You Paid:
- If you are injured and not able to work full duty and make your pre-injury wages, our attorneys will help fight to get you paid.
- Even if you are working light duty, if you are not working the hours you worked prior to your injury or getting paid the overtime you normally worked, our attorneys will make sure you get paid for everything you are entitled.
To Get You Paid the Most You Should Be Receiving/The Correct Amount:
- You could be getting underpaid.
- If an insurance company can get away with paying you less they will.
- If you do not get consult with one of our attorneys to make certain you are being paid the correct amount, you are giving away money you are owed.
For You To Receive the Best Medical Treatment:
- Our workers’ compensation lawyers will make sure you are treating with the best doctors that will work for you and not the insurance carrier or company.
- You are entitled to treat with a doctor of your choosing and even if it is a network claim there are always patient-friendly doctors who care about the injured worker and what is in your best interest.
- The insurance carrier and company want you to treat a doctor of their choosing in order to control the case.
- Get one of our workers’ compensation lawyers to refer you to a doctor who will work for you.
To Get the Highest Impairment Rating for Your Injuries:
- There comes a point in every workers’ compensation claim where you reach the point of maximum medical improvement, which means you are as good as you are going to get or it has been two years from the date you first start missing time from work.
- At this time, you are entitled to an impairment rating for the injuries that you sustained on the job.
- This is a percentage between 0-100 and for each percentage point, you receive 3 additional weeks of benefits.
- The higher the impairment rating, the more benefits you receive.
- Insurance Carriers like to send you to company doctors or their own doctors to give injured workers low ratings.
- Our attorneys will fight to get you the highest rating for your injuries and make sure you are properly evaluated and rated by a qualified doctor, and that he addresses the entire injury.
Deadlines:
- There are time limits on everything in workers’ compensation claims.
- You must report an injury to your employer within 30 days of it occurring. You must file a claim with the Division of Worker’s Compensation within 1 year of the incident occurring.
- You have 60 days to choose a new treating doctor if it is a non-network claim.
- You have 90 days to dispute the first certification of maximum medical improvement and impairment rating.
- Not only are there deadlines that must be met, but there are also certain forms that must be filled out correctly and properly filed with the Division. Missing a deadline could prevent you from moving forward and properly pursuing your claim.
To Help with Accelerations/Advances:
- Many times injured workers go through financial hardships when they are unable to work full duty and earn full wages.
- If an injured worker has a payment due on a mortgage or car and may need additional funds more than the normal weekly temporary income benefits check, we will help you apply and get approved for an advance. Further, once you receive an impairment rating, you may request those benefits be accelerated or commuted to a lump sum.
- Our attorneys can go over every option available to you and help you receive the most money available as quickly as possible in your case.
