No one wants to be injured at work. When an accident does happen, obtaining the services of an attorney can be crucial to receiving the support you need. It can be intimidating to consult a legal representative if you haven’t had cause to do so before. Here are a few reasons to convince you.
Although businesses are required to provide workers compensation in 74% of states, many employees find that it is not a simple thing to request the support they’re due. For example, it is estimated that 85% of workers compensation claims are a result of a slippery floor causing an employee mishap. On average, recovering from such an accident requires 22% of the filers of these instances to take more than 31 days off to heal properly. A month is quite a long time to be out of a paycheck.
A disability claim will require some paperwork from a doctor. Filing a claim differs from state to state. It is important that the paperwork is filled out carefully, as a mistake can easily result in a delay in receiving benefits. Some states do allow workers to file a claim online, and many offer the services of a legal representative if a claimant experiences trouble with their claim.
The process of being injured, filing a workers compensation claim, and receiving one’s due benefits may seem straightforward and simple. In a perfect world, every worker would be taken care of as intended by the law. However, there are times when the cause of the injury is in question, or in other words, whom does the blame reside with for the injury.
Sometimes a claimant is asked to clearly prove that their injury was caused through no fault of their own, either through carelessness or a blatant disregard of the employee handbook. It is at this point that the services of a legal representative may be useful. While this is likely your first time submitting a claim, a lawyer may oversee similar cases very often and therefore be more familiar with how to best achieve success through the process.
When people begin to talk of involving lawyers, many people will have visions of a lengthy trial. This is a frankly incorrect assumption. Do not be concerned that you will lose your compensation if the case goes to trial either. It has been found that only about 2% of any personal injury cases ever go to trial. Most personal injury torts are settled pre-trial.
Of course, it is preferable to experience no delays or pushback when filing a personal injury claim. It is best to be prepared regardless. While many workers file a claim with little trouble each year, at times a worker may experience some unforeseen problems. Workers compensation is meant to ease your transition from work to recovering and back to work again. Don’t let an intimidation of lawyers keep you from what you rightly deserve.
