Being injured on the job can leave you unable to work and with mounting medical bills. While you may assume that your employer would automatically be liable for your injuries and would compensate you accordingly, the fact is that your employer, and their insurance company, are ultimately looking out for their own bottom line, and they may try to avoid paying you what you deserve.
This makes it critical that you do not try to handle your worker’s compensation case on your own after a workplace injury. Consulting a worker’s compensation attorney as soon as possible after being injured in a workplace accident can help to ensure that you have someone looking out for your best interests as you work towards getting a settlement from your employer.
If you have recently been injured in a workplace accident and are unsure whether you should consult an attorney, here are just a few of the signs that you are in need of a worker’s compensation attorney.
Your Settlement Offer Doesn’t Cover Your Losses
Even if your employer recognizes that your injuries are work-related, this does not necessarily mean that they will compensate you appropriately for your injuries. In fact, most employers will try to offer their employee a low-ball settlement to begin with to protect themselves from having to pay a major settlement. You may even find that your settlement offer doesn’t cover all of your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses resulting from your workplace accident.
If this is the case, do not feel pressured by your employer, or their worker’s compensation insurer, to accept a settlement that you do not see as fair. Before you respond to the offer, contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can review your case and ensure that you receive a fair settlement.
You Do Not Know What Your Claim is Worth
In fact, in most cases, it is recommended that you consult an attorney before accepting any settlement offers in a worker’s compensation case. Calculating the value of a worker’s compensation case can be complex and should take into account a variety of factors such as time off of work as well as pain and suffering. The fact is that most people do not know what their claim is truly worth, and they will happily accept the first settlement offer that they receive if it covers their medical bills. However, it is critical that you have an attorney review your settlement offer before you make a decision, as your employer may be trying to take advantage of you. A worker’s compensation attorney will have experience valuing claims similar to yours, and they can not only help you to determine what your claim is worth, but they will also work tirelessly to try to get you the compensation you deserve.
You’ve Suffered Permanent Injuries
It is particularly critical that you consult an attorney if your injuries have resulted in partial or total permanent disability. With worker’s compensation cases that involve permanent disability, you may be entitled to regular payments, or a single lump sum, to make up for your lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering. However, these cases can be very costly for insurance companies, and they will likely stop at nothing to avoid paying you the compensation you deserve. Hiring an attorney will then be critical, as you will need someone by your side who can collect evidence, defend your case, and ensure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries.
Being injured in a workplace accident can leave you with mounting medical bills, and an uncertainty of how to proceed in order to get properly compensated for your injuries. This makes it important that you consider working with a personal injury attorney who can help support you during this difficult time. Contact us to learn more about how you will know whether you should contact an attorney after a workplace injury.