Arthur Young
When you file a workers' compensation claim, it puts the interests of your employer up against your interests, which could potentially damage your employee/employer relationship. However, if you've been hurt at work, it's also important to make sure your settlement meets you needs. If it doesn't, you should talk to a workers' compensation lawyer to see what you need to do to settle the dispute. Learn more about the type of situations in which you should consider hiring an attorney to negotiate your workers' compensation claim.
Your Settlement Offer is Too Low
Many people assume when they file a workers' compensation claim, the settlement they are offered is all of the money that they can receive. However, that isn't true. You don't have to accept a low offer, and you can even appeal claims that have been denied. Each workers' compensation claim is different, which means that settlement offers and the benefits received can differ quite a bit. Ideally, you want your settlement to cover all of the wages that you lost due to the accident and any medical expenses incurred. If the settlement that you're offered doesn't cover these two things, you should consider talking to a workers' compensation lawyer.
You're Disabled
If you were injured at work, and the accident caused a partial or permanent disability, you should consider having an attorney negotiate the terms of your settlement. You might be able to receive regular payments for the rest of your life as a part of your claim. However, lifetime payments can cost an insurance company a lot of money, so it's not easy to get insurers to agree to claims that continue to pay out over an undefined period of time. A workers' compensation lawyer may be able to negotiate acceptable terms for you if you're physically unable to work.
You Feel Threatened
If you feel like your employer is retaliating against you because you filed a workers' compensation claim, you should consider talking to an attorney. Your employer can't reduce your work hours or pay; fire you or demote you; or discriminate against you in any way just because you've filed a claim on their workers' compensation insurance.
In order to protect everyone affected by workers' compensation claims, settlements do require judicial approval. However, your workers' compensation settlement should get approved as long as both parties have agreed on the settlement and it isn't obviously unfair. So, if you don't think that you're capable of negotiating a fair settlement on your own, you should consider consulting a workers' compensation lawyer before proceeding with your claim.
For more information, contact Hardee and Hardee LLP or a similar firm.
Have you recently been let go from your job? Do you feel that the termination was illegal in any way? It is time for you to stand up to unfair employment practices by your former employer. An employment attorney helped me get through an impossible time more easily. I had no idea how serious the repercussions for terminating my position could be for the company, nor did I know how much the company would owe me for doing so. Thankfully, the attorney took the time to answer each and every question that I had and discussed all of my options. I have included much of what I learned on my website to help others learn what they could be owed if they were unlawfully terminated from their jobs.