A traumatic injury, incurred while on the job, can be devastating to the worker and his or her family. An injury to any body part, over time, can be equally devastating to any person and their family. Stanford Law Offices, S.C., understands the impact a work injury or occupational disease can have on the worker and their families. We also understand how to navigate the Worker’s Compensation Act in order to prosecute our clients’ interests.
Following some of the tips below should help a worker, following a traumatic injury or occupational disease.
The Claim
When a worker sustains a traumatic injury or suffers an occupational disease, the worker should complete an Accident Report with the employer. There is no obligation to give a statement, whether recorded or not, to the employer or the employer’s insurance company. An injured worker should immediately see a physician of their choice and give an accurate history of what occurred at the workplace.
In reporting the injury to the employer or their physician, the worker must exercise as much accuracy as possible. The employer must record the injury correctly. The worker’s physician can only do their job if they receive accurate information.
Benefits
Workers who have sustained either a traumatic injury or an occupational disease may be entitled to benefits. Worker’s comp benefits include, but are not limited to, temporary total disability (lost wages), temporary partial disability (partial lost wages), medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenses, permanent partial disability, vocational retraining or loss of earning capacity. Filing a lost wages claim can go smoother with the help of a Wisconsin worker’s comp lawyer.
Worker’s compensation benefits depend largely on the type of injury sustained by the worker and the effect the injury has had on the worker returning to the labor market. Our legal team at Stanford Law Offices, S.C., can help you with filing a workplace injury claim. We are well-versed in the Worker’s Compensation Act and look forward to navigating the Act in prosecuting our clients’ interests before the Department of Workforce Development (DWD).
Insurance Company
The insurance company is not the worker’s friend. The employer’s insurance company may have the worker’s medical records reviewed by an independent medical examiner. The insurance company may have the worker examined by an independent medical examiner. Whenever the insurance company employs a physician to conduct a record review, or conduct an independent medical examination, a report from an independent medical examiner will probably have an adverse effect on the employer’s rights under the Worker’s Compensation Act. Whether suffering injuries or the effects of an occupational disease, the worker has an absolute right to appeal the insurance company’s denial, based upon the independent medical examiner’s report, to the DWD. The appeal would include a Hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), when the worker has the opportunity to prosecute his or her interests under the Worker’s Compensation Act.
Our Wisconsin worker’s compensation attorneys at Stanford Law Offices, S.C., look forward to representing our clients and prosecuting their interests before the DWD.
A consultation with our team costs nothing. No obligation on your end. We look forward to working for you.