Can You Get the Workers’ Compensation Payout You Need Without Hiring a Lawyer?
Work injuries are very common, and the workers’ compensation insurance system is quite efficient at paying the necessary benefits to injured workers so that they can get back to work when they recover from their injuries with as little financial disruption as possible. Most of the time, you can get enough compensation without hiring a lawyer. Workers’ compensation lawyers are there to help resolve disputes related to work injuries and the expenses associated with them. Consider that car accidents are very common, and only a few of them lead to personal injury lawsuits. The right time to consult a workers’ compensation lawyer is when you perceive that it could be difficult to get the compensation you need without hiring one.
When There Are No Ambiguities
Imagine that Mrs. Bloggins is a math teacher at a private school where teachers share recess supervision duties on a rotating basis. On a day when Mrs. Bloggins is in charge of recess, a South Florida thunderstorm is raging outside, and recess is held in the gym. One of the basketball hoops is loose, but students are still playing with it, despite her verbal warnings. When she goes to that part of the gym to tell the children again that they must move to a different hoop, a bracket that was supporting the hoop falls on her foot and breaks her toe. Mrs. Bloggins goes to the emergency room for treatment; when she returns to work several days later, on crutches, she notifies the principal that she plans to file a workers’ compensation claim. The workers’ compensation insurance sends her a check that covers her medical expenses, and all is well.
When You Need a Lawyer to Resolve Disputes
You are more likely to need a workers’ compensation lawyer if there is a chance that your employer will try to argue that your work was not the cause of your injury. Workers’ compensation recognizes many slow-progressing conditions as work injuries and occupational diseases. The challenge in getting treatment for these conditions covered by workers’ compensation is that they did not begin with a single incident. Imagine that you receive a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome after decades of working as a sous chef in a busy restaurant. When you file your workers’ compensation claim, your employer rejects it, arguing that your carpal tunnel syndrome wasn’t caused by your work; instead, your employer claims that your dedicated participation in the local quilting bee was the real cause of your injury.
In general, the harder it is to pinpoint the cause of your illness or injury, the more you need a lawyer. Likewise, if your injuries are so serious that you will never be able to go back to your previous job, getting professional legal representation is the best choice.
Reach Out to Us Today for Help
A South Florida workers’ compensation lawyer can help you make a strong case that your injuries are the direct result of your work. Contact a Sunrise workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld for help.
