WORKERS COMPENSATION

Employees involved in work accidents must consult an experienced employee attorney to determine if workers compensation is their only legal remedy.

• Some work accidents may involve potential third-party personal injury claims if an entity other than the employer is a cause of the accident

• Workplace accidents that involve an employment termination may constitute a Family Medical Leave Act violation, or disability discrimination

Our employee lawyers are here to make sure injured workers review and receive all potential legal remedies. In cases in which an injured worker may have three separate legal remedies, the worker cheats themselves if they only pursue one or two of their remedies.

WORKERS COMPENSATION ATTORNEY

Serious workplace injuries deserve a serious workers compensation lawyer. If a workplace injury has caused you any of the following injuries, you should consult with an experienced workers compensation attorney:

• Disc injuries in one’s back or neck (herniated or slipped discs)

• Pinched nerves and other nerve injuries

• Carpel tunnel

• Head injuries (including brain injuries)

• Workplace violence including robberies

• Any injury that prevents an employee from doing their normal job

• Any permanent injury, or disfigurement

Injuries that are permanent, do not go away quickly, involve surgeries, or long periods of incapacity demand attorney assistance. Without an attorney it is unlikely an employee will receive adequate compensation. In many instances they will not receive proper medical treatment. Workers who are not represented by lawyers may find themselves entering into low value monetary settlements that waive their rights for future treatment or future disability which could cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the injured worker.

In all candor, we do not recommend anybody with an injury more serious than minor first aid injuries go about the process without an attorney. Broken bones, hernias, torn tendons, and work stress can have long ranged implications. These types of injuries can cause substantial medical bills, take a long time to heal, and cause an employee to miss work for a lengthy period of time. All of these issues may lead to monetary compensation in the workers compensation system.

WORK INJURY LAWYERS

The workers compensation process is a legal process. Cases are decided by administrative judges who almost exclusively are lawyers. A variety of forms are needed to make a claim. The forms have to be correctly filled out and filed. Proceedings are typically transcribed by a court reporter. Insurance companies and employers are represented by lawyers. Workers are subject to cross-examination, Cases are subject to appeal in the court of appeals. Do you really want to be doing these things on your own, without lawyer?

Even if the employee understands the terms on the forms and knows all of the tricks and rules of the workers compensation process (which is inherently unrealistic) they do not know what a work injury claim is worth. Only an experienced workers compensation lawyer who has handled similar claims knows the true value of a claim. They also know when to settle. Early settlements are sometimes too early and inadequate. At other times, when matters may not end up in the employee’s favor an early settlement might be best if the other side is not yet aware of those negative factors or has other reasons for an early settlement. Late settlements might come after negative evidence has been established, or favorable evidence. Only experienced workers compensation lawyers can gauge when the right time is to settle a workers compensation claim, or to try it if necessary.

Obviously, the best person to try a workers compensation case is a workers compensation attorney. Experienced work injury lawyers for employees know how to best present a workers compensation matter in a workers compensation hearing. Some workers compensation claims end up being tried because employers will not settle, or refuse a reasonable settlement. It is unlikely a worker will be able to find a workers compensation lawyer on the eve of trial. Get a start now,