Hurt at work? There's nothing to worry about if your company provides worker's compensation insurance. Or is there? Workers' compensation insurance coverage is a right when you work for any company that meets the guidelines that the government in your state has set.
The laws that we rely on to protect workers in the workplace did not always exist. The workman's compensation legislation became law in the 20th century. Every state has the right to create regulations and guidelines for allowable claims, benefit limits, coverage rules and even attorney's fees. As you can see, even if you are covered, there are 50 different laws that will determine how your work-related accident claim gets resolved. The Federal Workers' Compensation laws provide similar coverage for federal employees. All too often, employers go to great lengths to deny valid workers' compensation claims. Almost every state has a provision that prevents an employer from taking punitive actions against workers that file accident and injury claims under workers' compensation. Therefore, employers should not be able to terminate an injured employee in retaliation for filing a claim. However, the opposite is true in too many cases.
Some common issues for injured workers are company selected doctors or hospitals and paperwork processing delays. Once you report your injury to the appropriate person at your place of employment, you should consult a personal injury attorney, immediately. Even when the employer requires that their physician examine you, you can still elect to be examined by the physician of your choice. Your health insurance should cover this expense. If not, keep receipts for your claim records.
Your attorney can be extremely helpful in getting the company to process any paperwork that is required to continue your salary while you recover from your injuries. If you are unable to work and your employer repeatedly delays your workers' compensation benefits, you risk losing valuable assets like your home, vehicles and savings.
With the help of a personal injury attorney, you will be able to concentrate on recovering from your injuries instead of worrying about putting food on the table. You can avoid also being a worker who is denied benefits that the law provides.