If you've been injured at work, you may be wondering what your options are. If you're not sure what you can do next to receive the compensation you deserve, or your employer's workers' compensation insurance is refusing to compensate, you may want to consider hiring a workers' comp attorney.
What Is Workers' Comp?
Workers' comp is a type of insurance that employers are required to carry in case of an accident at work. If an employee is injured at work or falls ill due to the job, the employee can file a workers' comp claim to receive a cash payment or have their medical expenses for the injury or illness covered. If the insurance or employer decides that the injury or illness is not a result of the job, they may deny the claim. This is where workers' comp attorneys come in.
What Is a Workers' Comp Attorney?
A workers' comp attorney is the type of attorney that specializes in workers comp law. They will be required to keep up to date on changing laws in the state they practice in. The employee and the employer can both hire an attorney to fight for their case.
What Does a Workers' Comp Attorney Do?
If you hire a workers' comp attorney, they will do a lot of the work to win your case for you.
Some of the things they will do can include:
- Gather evidence and medical records
- Represent you in court (if applicable)
- Find expert witnesses
- Negotiate the settlement
- File all paperwork by the deadline
- Gather proof and testimony that the workplace is unsafe
Your attorney's main goal will be to prove to the insurance and/or court that the accident was a result of an unsafe workplace to help you get the most compensation possible.
Why Would You Need a Workers' Comp Attorney?
You may not think you need to hire a workers' comp attorney, but they are experts and are your best option to get the compensation you deserve.
They will be able to help you if:
- You don't think the settlement you offered is fair
- You don't have enough evidence to support your claim
- Your claim was outright denied
- Your injury is long-term
You can even hire a workers' comp attorney to help you file the claim to prevent any errors and setbacks.
Cost of a Workers' Comp Attorney
Most workers' comp attorneys will work on a contingency basis. If you've hired an attorney on a contingency basis, you only need to pay your attorney for their services if you win your case. If you lose the case, you will not owe your attorney any money. Most attorneys will have a set percentage. For example, if you hire a workers' comp attorney at 20% and you win $100,000 in your settlement, you would owe your attorney $20,000.
For more information, contact a workers' comp attorney in your area.
