When you are injured or physically disabled while you are on the job, you will likely file for workers compensation benefits. While this is common practice for injuries at work, many employees are hesitant to report accidents and seek out such benefits. There are a number of reasons that people may worry about filing a workers compensation claim. However, you should get to know some of the things that you should not worry about when you are injured on the job. This will help you to make the decision to file your workers compensation claim and be prepared for the process.
Your Employer Demoting You Or Otherwise Treating You Badly
One of the biggest worries that people have when they are injured on the job is that their employer will demote them to a lower paying job or treat them disdainfully if they decide to report their injury and file a claim. However, the chances of this happening are fairly low.
First of all, your employer will likely not have to pay anything out-of-pocket for your worker's compensation claim. They carry insurance to cover themselves in such instances. As such, there would likely be no direct reason for them to act out against you.
Additionally, even if it does happen, there are laws against workplace discrimination and retaliation on both a state and federal level. Your workers compensation attorney or another lawyer would be able to help you file a claim with the Department of Labor and/or a lawsuit against your employer. Because of these facts, you should not let these worries hinder you from filing your claim. You have protections to prevent negative retaliations from your employer.
Your Workers Compensation Attorney Fees
When you file a workers compensation claim, there is always a chance that your employer or their insurance company will dispute the claim. This, of course, would mean that you would likely need to go to court to receive your benefits and compensation.
And going to court means that you will also need an attorney. However, many people may try to avoid the process entirely because they do not think that they can afford an attorney's fee. Once again, this is a fear you should not give into.
Workers compensation attorneys get paid on contingency. This means that their fee is a percentage of the benefits that you are awarded rather than a fee that you pay upfront. Because your lawyer does not get paid until you do, they will do everything in their power to get you the maximum benefits you can get as quickly as possible.
Now that you know a few of the things that you should not worry about in pursuing your workers compensation case, you can be sure to file a claim if you are injured on the job and know what to do if anything does happen to go wrong in the process. Contact a lawyer like one from The Reed Noble Law Firm PLLC for more information.
