Yes, you should hire a workers’ compensation lawyer to represent you and help you obtain benefits.
Is An Attorney Required By Law?
While you are not required by law to have an attorney represent you, an experienced lawyer can be very valuable in your efforts to recover the compensation that you need.
Without a lawyer, you will have to negotiate on your own directly with an insurance company lawyer and a Workers’ Compensation Law Judge. No one should sign papers , agree to do something or even settle a case without understanding the system.
For example, we have seen instances where the insurance claims adjuster did not tell an injured worker that she might have to wait months for approval of a simple medical procedure if that adjuster would just have authorize it instead; or that they can reduce your weekly payments whenever they want to, unless there has been an actual decision by a Workers’ Compensation Law Judge.
How A Workers’ Comp Lawyer Can Help
In an ideal world, there would be no need for an injured worker to seek the help of a workers’ compensation attorney. If you are injured at work, compensation should be available to you to offset medical expenses and time off the job.
Unfortunately things do not always work out as they should, leaving many injured workers short on cash and other benefits to which they are entitled.
An attorney can help you through each step of the complicated claims process and can maximize your chances of recovering the benefits that you need.
Reasons Why You May Need A Lawyer:
Failure To Respond
If you have been injured on the job and your employer fails to respond in an appropriate manner, you may feel as if your injury is of no real concern to your boss. When a worker is injured at work, the first thing an employer should do when notified of the injury is seek medical care for the injured worker. Should this not happen immediately, the worker should consider contacting a workers’ compensation attorney to ensure the claim is handled properly.
Failure To Report
In some cases the employer will provide the medical care necessary, however the actual reporting of the claim may end up on the back burner. Employees hurt while performing job related duties should know their case has been reported by their boss in a timely manner. When an injured worker goes days or even weeks without hearing from a workers’ compensation representative, the general consensus is that the employer is not terribly concerned with the processing of the claim.
Failure to Adjust Work Duties
You received medical care at the time of your injury and your claim was reported in a timely manner, however your boss is willing or pushing for a return to work before the doctor says it is okay. Should your employer pressure a return to work before it is medically safe to do so, representation by a workers’ compensation attorney may be necessary to protect your rights and health.
Free Consultations For Injured Workers In New York
The best way to be sure that you receive all you deserve is to get a FREE consultation which will help you determine whether or not you need to hire an attorney.
At Markhoff & Mittman, P.C. we offer free consultation to injured workers throughout the Greater New York City Area.
Our attorneys handle cases throughout Westchester County (White Plains, Yonkers, Mt. Kisco, Ossining, Port Chester, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, Larchmont), New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens) and Long Island.
Contact us today to discuss your legal options.