Being injured at work can be stressful and confusing. The insurance company's adjuster has a lot of experience in handling claims, and your claim is just one of many that he or she is handling. What appears to be routine to the adjuster is personal to you because you are the one that is injured. You need someone “in your corner” to make sure that you receive the benefits to which you are rightfully entitled. Hiring a lawyer to represent you, doesn't mean that you are suing your employer. As soon as you were injured at work and your injury was timely reported, you are in the workers' compensation system. Having a lawyer ensures that you follow the complicated procedures purposely designed to “trip you up” and deny benefits offered by the Workers' Compensation law.

The workers' compensation carrier will pay for medical treatment but you must be treated by a doctor that they authorized. The carrier will not pay for medical treatment if they did not authorize the care in advance. The carrier will pay for lost wages if your authorized doctor places you at a no work status. There are also situations where the carrier pays lost wages when you are placed at light duty. The carrier will never pay you for pain and suffering.

There are also other “gotchas,” such as signing a variety of legal and medical documents, some of which you should sign and others you should not. That's why it is important for you to not go through this process alone. Hiring a qualified workers' compensation attorney is your right. If you want to learn more about these complex issues, you can go to the workers' compensation page here on our website.