Although the overall rate of workplace accidents continues to decrease, annual payments to workers who sustain injuries on the job total over $60 billion every year. As recently as two years ago, there were over 170,000 back injuries reported to workers compensation lawyers, along with over 500,000 other injuries related to falls and sprains sustained while on the job.
In general, workers compensation does pay for the total cost of medical care for people who get injured at work, along with financial recompense for time lost from work. Some jobs have much higher injury rates than others: nurses who provide patient care in hospitals and nursing homes report triple the rate of back and skeletal injury than industrial laborers due to the fact that they often lift patients into and out of bed.
Workers compensation lawyers should be able to help people fill out the necessary paperwork for the insurance companies as well as to help workers prove their injuries if such documentation is required by their employer or by outside benefits agencies. While a workers compensation claim should be filed immediately, the time that it takes to get the benefits and cash assistance may vary, so injured employees should start the process as soon as they are medically able.
When it is time to contract with a workers compensation law firm, injured workers should find a firm with a track record of success that they find capable of meeting their needs. Many law firms have answering services available after hours in the event that an injury happens during the evening or on a weekend. Workers compensation attorneys may be able to visit with injured workers in the hospital if travel to their office is not an option for their client at that moment in time.
In general, workers compensation attorneys will work with injured clients and will inform them as to the steps they need to take in order to gain access to cash and medical benefits. Losing days or weeks of work can be challenging, and although companies work fervently to minimize the occurrence of workplace accidents, sometimes they do occur and an injured party has to seek legal representation.