Why You Should Hire a Workers’ Compensation attorney

If you have you suffered a workplace injury and feel you are entitled to compensation, it is always advisable to contact a workers’ compensation attorney to walk you through the legal process. He or she can alert you of potential pitfalls, as well as give you an honest appraisal of whether you can handle the case on your own.

Here are some reasons why you should hire a workers’ compensation lawyer:

·         Your employer may deny your claim or you may fail to receive your benefits promptly

Workers’ compensation claims are routinely rejected by employers and insurers, who assume that many workers will fail to appeal. This is factually correct, because up to 80% of individuals whose claims are denied fail to appeal the decision in court. Hire a workers’ compensation attorney to give you the best chance of receiving a fair settlement for your injuries.

·         Your employer may retaliate against you for filing a workers’ compensation claim

It is important that you hire a workers’ compensation attorney immediately, because your employer could get you fired or demoted, or reduce your pay and engage in any other form of discrimination for filing a workers’ compensation claim.

·         Your employer’s settlement offer may not cover all lost wages or medical bills

If you want to be fairly compensated, hire an attorney. If you think that your settlement offer is not good enough, do not rely on the workers’ compensation judge to make sure that you are getting a fair deal. A judge may sign off on any agreement as long as it is not grossly unfair.

·         Your employer may deny you your disability benefits

If the work injury caused you permanent partial disability or permanent total disability, you may be entitled to lifetime weekly payments to make up for your lost wages. These can be expensive for insurance companies. Therefore, they will do everything possible to avoid paying you what you deserve. Hiring a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney can be essential when there are permanent injuries or illness.

·         You may have a potential third party claim

If you have suffered a work-related injury, you may be able to sue a third party whose negligence contributed to your injury through a third-party lawsuit. For instance, when a machine malfunction causes injury to a worker, he or she can file a third-party lawsuit against the manufacturer of the defective machine, apart from filing a workers’ compensation claim. An attorney will assist you in filing a third-party lawsuit.