Getting injured at work can throw your life into chaos. Not only are you trying to recover from your injury and dealing with income loss but you may wind up fighting to get a fair workers’ compensation settlement. A workers’ compensation accident lawyer can help you get the money you’re entitled to so you can focus on recovering. Read on to learn when you need to hire a workers’ comp lawyer and how they can help you in your case.
Your Employer Denies or Delays Your Claim
If your employer refuses to pay your claim or keeps delaying your payment, a workers’ comp lawyer can help. Too often, employers or workers’ compensation insurance companies reject employees’ claims, even if they do have a legitimate claim. They hope that these workers won’t appeal the decision and they’ll never have to write a check. But a good lawyer can help you gather evidence to support your claim and get you the settlement you’re entitled to.
Your Employer Retaliates Against You
In some of the worst cases, employers will actually go so far as to retaliate against employees who file workers’ comp claims. This often comes in the form of demotions, reduced hours, reduced pay, or unpleasant work assignments. This retaliation is also completely illegal. If you feel your boss is retaliating against you for filing a workers’ comp claim, a lawyer can help you not only get your fair settlement, but also get you justice for this discrimination.
Your Settlement Is Too Low
If your employer offers you a settlement and doesn’t retaliate against you for filing a claim, you may be tempted to take it without asking too many questions. But oftentimes, companies will give you a lowball offer, hoping you’ll blindly accept it and they won’t have to give you a full payment. If your settlement offer won’t cover your medical bills or the wages you lost during the time you had to spend away from work, it’s a good sign you could be owed more money. A personal injury lawyer can help you calculate exactly how much you’re owed and fight for a fair settlement offer.
You Can’t Return to Your Old Work Capacity
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may not be able to return to work in the same capacity you did before. You might not be able to meet all the physical demands of your job anymore, or you may not be able to return to work at all. If this is the case for you, you’re entitled to compensation for all that loss of future earning potential. A workers’ compensation lawyer will help you calculate how much money you lost out on because of this injury and will help you recover as much of that compensation as possible.
You Plan to Get Social Security Benefits
Unfortunately, even if you get a fair settlement offer, it can actually work against you in the long run. Depending on the wording of your settlement, workers’ compensation benefits could seriously reduce the amount of Social Security disability benefits you can claim. The good news is that a good personal injury lawyer can help you avoid those problems. They can make sure the wording on your settlement is such that it won’t impact your Social Security disability benefits.
You Were Injured as a Result of Misconduct
It’s definitely a good idea to hire a workers’ comp lawyer if you know or suspect your injury was the result of misconduct or negligence. It is true that in general, workers’ comp exists to prevent lawsuits over workplace incidents. But if your injury is due to negligence on the part of your employer or a third party, you may be able to sue. You may also be able to file a lawsuit if your employer didn’t have workers’ comp insurance. An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help you get the settlement you deserve.
Get the Settlement You Deserve
If you’ve been injured at work, you could be entitled to money to help cover your medical bills and lost income. A good personal injury lawyer can help you get a full and fair settlement and make sure that you don’t experience any retribution for collecting what’s due to you. If you’re facing a workers’ compensation claim, O’Connor Law wants to help. Our attorneys will fight for your case like it was our own. Schedule a free consultation with us today to start getting the representation you deserve.
Contact the Bronx Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at O’Connor Law PLLC Today
If you were injured in a workplace accident in Bronx, NY, and need legal help, contact our Bronx workers’ compensation attorneys at O’Connor Law PLLC to schedule a free case consultation today.
O’Connor Law PLLC
