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Suffering injuries at work can be a traumatic experience. Trying to recover while dealing with insurance companies and workers’ compensation doctors can make the process even more stressful. A work injury can leave you with many medical bills, days, weeks, or more of missed work time and stress over how to pay for your living costs.
Luckily, you’re likely to be eligible for benefits through your employer’s workers’ compensation policy. You have a legal right to compensation for your medical costs and lost wages, and there are certain things you can do to help maximize your workers’ compensation settlement.
However, insurance companies only care about profits, and they may offer you a low settlement that’s far from what you deserve. Our workers’ compensation lawyers can fight for fair benefits, however.
Tips to Maximize Your Workers’ Compensation Settlement
You can do many things to secure fair workers’ compensation benefits when filing a claim. These include:
Seek Medical Help
Your health is the priority. Seek medical attention immediately after your injury. If you delay seeking medical care, the insurance company could claim that your injuries were not serious and find a reason to lower your settlement amount.
Understand Your Workers’ Compensation Disability Rating
Many work injuries result in a disability that prevents you from working for a certain amount of time. Workers’ compensation disabilities fall into four categories:
- Temporary total disabilities: Disability that completely prevents you from working for a certain time
- Temporary partial disabilities: Disability that prevents you from performing some work-related duties for a certain period
- Permanent partial disability: Disability that permanently prevents you from performing certain work-related duties
- Permanent total disability: Disability that prevents you from ever working again, at your job, or any other type of job
If you fall under any of these disability categories, your doctor will assess the severity of your injuries and assign you a certain disability, ranging from 5% to 100%.
Keep a Track Record of Everything
To win a workers’ compensation claim, it will help if you keep a complete record of:
- The details of your injury
- The associated medical costs
- The paperwork you’ve accumulated since the time of injury
Our attorneys can use this documentation as proof to help fight for fair compensation.
See a Doctor on Your Employer’s Approved List of Providers
Your employer is required to provide you with a list of approved medical professionals for you to see. You must meet with one of these doctors, not your general practitioner.
Don’t Give a Recorded Statement or Trust the Insurance Company
If the insurance company asks you for a recorded statement or says they are recording a phone conversation, don’t allow it. Speak with your workers’ compensation attorney first, so nothing is used against you and your potential settlement.
We Can Help You Win Your Workers’ Compensation Case
Our legal team will fight for your rights. We can help you secure fair benefits in many ways, including:
- Handling all your communications with other parties
- Handling all paperwork
- Representing you during negotiations
We can also:
Ensure Your Workers’ Compensation Claim is Valid
To avoid losing your case, we will help you review the types of injuries that qualify for workers’ compensation. They include:
- On-the-job injuries: Any kind of injuries that happened at your workplace
- Repetitive stress injuries: Any type of injuries that result from frequently repeating a movement at your workplace
- Occupational illnesses: Injuries that occur due to exposure to chemicals and toxins that later lead to serious illnesses, such as cancer
Document Your Case
Work injuries happen far too often. If you suffered injuries at the workplace, the first step is to notify your employer within 30 days of the incident. Our legal team can advise you if you have any questions about what details to provide and to whom. If the original claim is denied, we will help you file an appeal.
Secure Benefits With Help From George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers
Our workers’ compensation lawyers will always push for a fair workers’ compensation settlement. We don’t charge any legal fees until we recover a settlement in your favor. Contact George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today for a free, initial consultation.
We stand up for injured workers and their families. We know your situation is likely causing you a lot of stress. That’s why our team is standing by to help you during this confusing time. Turn to us for legal guidance when seeking benefits from either the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission or the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation.