If you are an injured worker, you might be wondering when should be the right time to hire a workers’ compensation attorney, and if the system could allow you to collect your lost wages, medical bills and get retrained if possible.
Although the system in practice might appear simple to you, often it is a tedious process when handling it by yourself. Therefore, it requires you to hire a workers’ compensation attorney, who would ensure that your injury is accepted, and you receive all the necessary treatment with all the benefits that you desire.
In most cases, during the court hearing of your workers’ compensation case your employer and insurance company will be represented by an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer, who can put you at a disadvantage. But with the help of an attorney, he/she would walk you through the whole process, alert you of any potential pitfalls, and give you an honest answer of whether you can handle the case on your own or you might need their help.
Here are some typical troubles you could be facing that a workers comp attorney can handle for you.
Denial of Claim
An employer can unwillingly deny your claims and may say that you were not injured on the job. Also, most workers fear losing their jobs and they might end up considering not reporting their injuries.
The law allows you to report your injuries in case you feel your employer is mistreating you. Do not wait for days, weeks or even months to pass by to take action, the sooner, the better. Hire an experienced attorney who can investigate the injury that is linked to your work to allow you to receive the compensations of your claim.
Third-party claim
Employers usually do not have workers’ compensation insurance if you get an injury at your workplace due to the negligence of somebody outside your workplace, for example, a negligent driver who hit you while you were driving for work.
Then it is a high time for you to get a workers’ compensation attorney in Everett, who can bring a claim against them and even get additional benefits for you. In addition to making sure you file all the necessary documents, they will know how to gather the evidence needed to support your case and negotiate effectively with your insurance company. And they will also be able to explain to you how the law applies to your situation.
Your employer may try to modify your compensation benefits
Your employer can approve to you a physician for dealing with your treatments from an injury, but he/she may also want to return you to work before you are fully healed. By doing so, your employer and the insurance company who are catering for your services may try to reduce or eliminate your benefits.
Your employer might attempt to control your medical treatment by instructing the physician that is assigned to you, to assert that you are ready to go back to work, even when you are not. An attorney will protect your rights to workers’ compensation benefits, as you are still affected by the injuries you got from your workplace and also sue your employer for trickery.