Did you get hurt at work and now you are wondering why you should have a workers compensation lawyer? We can help you understand our role in getting you the results you need.
What’s Covered and Not Covered by Workers Compensation Insurance
In order to recover workers’ comp, you must have been accidentally injured while on the job, working as an employee. Additionally, your injuries must be related to the job. For instance, if you’re a professional painter and hurt your back while painting a customer’s house, that’s probably covered. But you’re probably not covered if you were injured when a drunk driver ran off the road and hit you during a painting job.
Even if you meet the requirements, you could still be ineligible to receive workers’ comp benefits if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the injury or you were acting inappropriately on the job, – for example, horseplaying, or knowingly and intentionally misusing equipment.
Workers Compensation Benefits
If you have been injured at work, the benefits you receive will depend upon the extent of the injury and whether or not you can work. Our firm can help ensure that you receive the workers’ comp benefits you deserve.
Our team of Buffalo Workers Compensation Lawyers help injured workers throughout Western New York obtain their rightful benefits for all types of injuries, including:
- Neck and back injuries
- Knee, shoulder and joint injuries
- Eye and ear injuries
- Head injuries
- Burn injuries
- Amputations
- Fractures
- Repetitive injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Occupational illnesses and diseases caused by exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances
Download Our Free Workers Compensation Guide
Calculating Workers’ Compensation Payments
The most you can get each week is two-thirds (up to certain limits) of your weekly wage, and most likely it’ll be less than that. That’s because the Workers Compensation Board calculated your weekly compensation payments based on a percentage of your weekly wage and your level of disability. So if you made $500 per week and the Board considered you to be 100% disabled, you would get $333.33 every week. But if you were 50% disabled, you would only get $166.67 every week. And if you return to work, but cannot work at full capacity, you’re eligible to receive reduced earning compensation.
An injured employee is eligible to obtain all required medical care related to the work injury or illness. Medical benefits can also include out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel costs to get medical care you need. However, there are some rules on payments for the medical care.
One of the biggest restrictions is that Workers Compensation Board has to authorize any health care provider an injured party wants to use, except in cases of emergency treatment. Additionally, the employee may have to obtain prescription drugs and receive medical tests from facilities and pharmacies of the workers’ compensation insurance company’s choosing.
Understanding why you should have a workers compensation lawyer is going to help you get the results you need and want. Please call us right away to get started.