The last thing you expect is to get injured on the job. However, work-related injuries are extremely common. Fortunately, workers who sustain an injury on the job may receive medical benefits offered by the worker’s compensation system.
If you are dealing with an injury and either your employer is not responding or the benefits are being denied, you should waste no time in contacting a worker’s compensation lawyer.
Having a legal expert by your side as you attempt to recover your health may take some worry off your mind. Atlanta worker’s compensation lawyer can help file worker’s compensation claims if you get injured or sick while working.
What Benefits Can an Injured Worker Expect to Receive?
A worker who is injured or becomes sick as a result of their work environment and is approved to receive worker’s compensation benefits can usually expect to receive:
Payment for their medical expenses and treatment. In this case, the care starts from the initial emergency attention and also includes follow-up treatment with physicians, physical rehabilitation, transportation expenses, and other medical costs.
Payment for time off work needed to recover. While on worker’s compensation, injured workers can expect to receive two-thirds of their average weekly earnings, providing that the recovery period does not extend longer than two years.
Payment for any permanent impairment. Unfortunately, many work-related injuries or illnesses may result in a permanent physical impairment for the worker, affecting their ability to perform certain jobs.
Depending on the case, even a small injury may end up qualifying for a small permanent disability payment.
Vocational rehabilitation services. In cases where the injury does not allow the worker to return to their previous occupation, it may be necessary for them to switch career paths and start doing a totally different job in a different field.
If this happens, most states allow the worker to receive payment for some job re-education or retraining.
Benefits in the event of death. In extreme cases, the worker may lose their life during an accident at work. When this happens, their dependents may be entitled to have the burial expenses covered and also receive a lump sum payment.
Does Workers Compensation Always Work as Expected?
Sadly, worker’s compensation is a system that has been known to have outcomes that are not always fair to those workers who get injured or become sick while at work. In other cases, employers may discourage workers from making a claim for worker’s compensation benefits.
In others, their claim may be denied by the employer’s insurance company using a bad faith technique.
When you are injured at work and end up having to pay for medical expenses out of your own pocket or are told that you will not get any time off to care for your health, or when your employer refuses to acknowledge that you are no longer able to perform the tasks you did prior to the accident, you may have no other choice but to work with a worker’s compensation attorney who can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.