My name is Arlene, and two years ago, I was involved in a car accident that wasn't my fault. I had some injuries that required a hospital stay, and I was unable to return to work for several weeks. I didn't know how I was going to pay my bills, and it was very stressful for me. My friend told me that I needed to hire an accident and personal injury attorney so I could recover my lost wages and medical costs. I was so glad that I hired the attorney, and my stress level immediately went down. Through the attorney, I was able to get a settlement, and I was no longer in financial trouble. I am writing this blog to let everyone know the importance of hiring an attorney after an accident. It's my wish that this blog will help others who are in similar situations.
Mattie Bennett
After a workplace injury, your path to recovery may not be completely clear. Even if you know you're getting workers' compensation, the rate of the compensation and the future of your injury may create situations that aren't easily handled with a few weeks of bed rest and payment. Take a look at what workers' compensation can offer and other benefits that you may want to look into before signing anything.
Workers' Compensation As A Temporary Support
The goal of workers' compensation is to help a worker recover from injuries and get back to work without suffering severe economic setbacks. A percentage of the worker's paycheck is paid, depending on the state's rate, and medical expenses related to the injury are paid to the hospital.
This can be a problem if your paycheck already isn't enough to maintain your lifestyle. Sure, you'll be free from work for a while as you recover--which may not be a comfort depending on how complex the injury is--but a reduction in pay can be devastating even if you're able to return to work.
The benefits are temporary and based on when you should have recovered for the injury, but what if you're not fit for work after months go by, or if you disagree with the doctor's statement of being in good health? You may have lingering effects from the injury even if the potency of pain and disability become less, but there's no guarantee that workers' compensation will continue to support you.
Thankfully, there are options that workers' compensation officials can point you towards. Your plan should be to contact a workers' compensation attorney and consider other compensation options, such as a personal injury or social security claim.
Other Compensation Options
An attorney can help you maximize your workers' compensation benefits by filing the proper paperwork. A professional handling the situation can decrease the likelihood that you'll be declined because of errors or a lack of information.
There are other options to explore without giving up your workers' compensation opportunities immediately. There's nothing wrong with looking into the specifics of the injury, such as whether another employee, your employer, a private person who caused the injuring event at work, or a vendor could be held responsible.
Those situations could lead to personal injury cases against third parties for compensation, or at least for the discovery of more evidence that could be used to qualify you for other programs. Social Security's disability program could be another option as long as your disability can be confirmed with medical evidence, which you should have from workers' compensation medical care.
Although the same information can be shared amongst different forms of compensation, the legal language used and form filing procedures are different. Contact a workers' compensation attorney at a law firm like Williams Williams & Bembenek PC to sift through the complexities and get to your benefits sooner.