An employee-employer relationship can be complex. On a good day, you get a sense of professional satisfaction and your boss relies on you for a job well done as you both earn good money for yourselves and families.
Then, bad days happen, despite everyone’s best efforts to plan, take precautions, and just plain old be careful. An injury on the job can add financial and physical pressures that rip apart even the best relationships but there is one easy thing you can do to make sure everyone has the best experience possible during a bad time—get good advice from an experienced, trusted attorney.
Don’t Delay
Everyone knows that the first thing to do when you are hurt is to get help. If you’ve been injured on the job, that includes reporting the incident immediately.
There are a lot of reasons why people don’t take care of this important first step. Someone might suggest it’s more important to rest after an accident than file paperwork. An employer might offer to handle the matter informally. Then again, you might be so seriously injured that you cannot take care of this step.
The wisest thing to do is report the injury and get a copy of that report as soon as you can. The rules for workers’ compensation are complex. That report will help with the accuracy and timeline of details and keep the entire compensation claim process fair and professional for everyone involved.
Your lawyer can help you make sense of the rules associated with this process. When you explain the incident to your employer, he or she is obliged to file the report with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. You, too, will have certain tasks to perform and should know there is a statute of limitations associated with filing a claim. As your lawyer helps you negotiate these hurdles, which can seem complicated even at the best of times, you can spend more of your now limited energy managing chronic pain or with a physical therapist to regain strength or movement.
Access Advice
Sit down with an attorney who has experience in this type of law. Your employer and the insurance company will be talking with experts to make sure they are handling the case in the right way but the advice they get may not translate to what’s in your best interest. Hopefully, you won’t need more than an overview of the process you’re about to experience but, if things get difficult, it’s best to feel confident that you are taking care of yourself by talking with a professional who offers advice tailored to your situation.
If you’ve started down the road alone, it’s never too late to get good advice, especially if you feel that you’ve been wrongly denied in a claim.
Examine Expenses
One of the scariest thoughts associated with an injury is the idea that you won’t be able to earn your paycheck. Your lawyer can explain just how your position with the company is protected. You cannot be terminated because you file a claim. You will be entitled to weekly benefits, which you can use to keep food on the table and pay your bills while you are unable to work.
You’ll also have many questions about how to deal with your medical expenses, and, again, a knowledgeable attorney can provide you with the right answers based on your individual situation. Each case is unique but you can rest assured knowing that your doctors’ bills associated with your work related injury will be covered by worker’s compensation insurance, including co-pays.
Another benefit of seeking legal advice is that your lawyer can help you keep good records as you receive medical attention. If you’re unable to work, it’s likely that injury will make scrambling for documents even more challenging, never mind filling out the forms that will inevitably come your way.
An initial consultation with a lawyer is free. Also, your workers’ compensation attorney is paid on a contingency basis. His or her fee is based on a settlement when the case is closed. You can focus on healing and getting your life back on track.
Choose Carefully
A legal case related to your on-the-job injury will remain open until you settle the case. That is so complications may be addressed, even if they appear long after the initial incident. Your employer’s oral promise to take care of you might become more than he or she can handle down the road and you both might experience regret if you don’t file a proper claim.
There will be many choices that you will need to make after an injury on the job. Your lawyer can explain what you need to do and how.