Most of the time, you might not even know the importance of having a workers’ compensation lawyer until an unfortunate accident happens to you at the workplace. These are all too common. Factory workers are often prone to accidents due to faulty handling of machinery, or lifting of heavy items, for example. But they are not the only ones susceptible. Your job might mainly be a desk job, but you can still find yourself in an office accident, such as tripping over wires and computer cables, slips and falls caused by office equipment, or even have carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of years of typing. Besides these, families of employees or workers can receive compensation from fatal accidents.
There are many more examples of ill-fated workplace mishaps that you can get compensated for depending on a few factors. In many cases, the employee or worker isn’t aware of what is due to them, which is why a workers’ compensation lawyer can get you the benefits you are entitled to.
Workers’ compensation laws
Workers’ compensation laws are administered by each state legislation and by federal statutes. Both provide fixed compensations to employees or their dependents in the case of employment-related accidents and diseases. Since it differs from state to state, you might not be aware of the procedures of the state you’re working in. For example, In North Carolina, the first step an injured worker should take is to immediately inform his or her supervisor in writing. You have a limited time to fill out and present compensation forms, and if you exceed that time, you might not receive any compensation at all.
The attorneys at https://www.stewartlawoffices.net/charlotte-personal-injury-lawyer/workers-compensation/ are experts in the laws of the Carolinas and will be with you every step of the process. They will access each case individually to get your entitled compensation. You might think the process of collecting compensation money is easy; after all, you are the injured party. But it’s much more complicated than that. So, having a team of lawyers beside you is reassuring.
What a compensation lawyer does
Obviously, the main goal of the attorney is to obtain benefits for you. Of these benefits are:
- Permanent total disability benefits
- Permanent partial disability benefits
- Temporary partial disability benefits
- Medical benefits
- Wage reimbursement benefits
- Vocational rehabilitation benefits
An attorney will help you by doing the following:
Gather medical records
For a start, it’s important to note that the number one reason claims never go through is because the injured party hasn’t been able to gather complete and concrete medical evidence needed. A compensation lawyer will make sure that doesn’t happen.
Taking depositions of the plaintiff, physicians, medical experts, and other parties
Some claims can be settled without going to trial, which happens indispositions. Questions can be tricky. It’s vital that you never answer a question that you don’t understand, which is why the lawyer is with you to do more than just guide you, but actually get you what you deserve.
Perform legal research
Any type of lawsuit will need a certain amount of legal research to be conducted. Legal research is finding answers to legal questions or checking for legal instances that can be cited at trial. Unless you’re a lawyer, chances are you will not know how to perform legal research. Your lawyer may review statutes, and case studies, before determining how to carry on with your case.
Remaining current with developments in the law
In any field of work, there is new information to learn, and law is no different. Communities around us change, which means attorneys must always be updated on legal affairs. While the law is always mainly viewed as regulating people’s legal behavior, lawyers are also expected to uphold people’s rights and protect them from different forms of harm. This means lawyers must play a very active role in knowing what is new or what has been modified when it comes to the law. For example, in 2011, North Carolina passed a set of revisions to the Workers’ Compensation Act, which created new issues requiring the attention of a lawyer.
Unfortunately, even when you have a legitimate claim, some employers or their insurance companies routinely deny employees such claims. This leaves injured employees to face a complex system, which often leads them to stop seeking their rights, just from sheer frustration. But you don’t have to and shouldn’t when there are workers’ compensation lawyers to help you. Severe injuries might not allow you to work any longer, and you absolutely need that compensation.