When you get injured while performing your duty at the workplace, you may be legally entitled to be compensated in monetary terms. The process, however, can be a little complicated in this regard, and this is why you need a workers compensation lawyer by your side. There are several factors that you need to take into your careful consideration while you are negotiating worker’s compensation settlement. Though the laws do not make it mandatory for you to hire a lawyer to represent you in such cases, it is often wise to have an attorney to assist you with the process. Make sure that the workers compensation lawyer you are hiring for your case has specialization in handling these types of cases with an impressive success record. They must also be duly licensed to offer their services in your state. Following is a brief rundown on some of the basic things that you must do in order to ensure a better position while you are negotiating a worker’s compensation claim.
Report To The Supervisor
When you get injured at the workplace, the first thing you have to do is to contact your supervisor and inform them about the accident and the severity of the injuries you have suffered. When it comes to negotiating worker’s compensation settlement, there is a specific step-by-step procedure that you have to follow. Ask the supervisor to provide you the incident form. You must fill out and submit this incident form immediately after getting injured. If the injuries are very serious ones and require immediate medical attention, you can ask your loved ones to contact your supervisor and fill out that incident form. In this incident form, you have to explain how serious the injuries are and how actually the accident happened. Remember, the details provided by you in this form are just your version of the story. Further investigation will be done by your employer to confirm whether the things you have reported are completely true. Therefore, you must be very truthful while you are providing those details. If, at a later stage, it is proved that you provided false information or manipulated with the truth just to obtain a higher amount of compensation, you may lose your right to be compensated. Instead, the employer may sue you for fraud.
Get Medical Treatment
While you are negotiating worker’s compensation settlement, you will have to provide the medical reports from a specialized doctor to prove the severity of the injuries you suffered because of the accident. Therefore, when you get injured on job, you must also seek immediate medical attention. The doctor will document your injuries and will issue you a medical certificate, including the details of the treatment needed. Depending upon the kind of injuries you have suffered, you may receive certain medical therapies, treatments, braces, or medications. Ask the doctor to mention in their medical certificate that how much time the treatment will take and when you will be able to return to work. In extreme cases, the injuries may cause temporary or permanent disability, which means you may not be able to return to work for a long period of time. In such cases, you deserve a higher amount of compensation.
Calculate The Expected Compensation You Deserve
Before you go ahead and start negotiating worker’s compensation settlement, you should first try to calculate your expected medical expenses on the basis of the diagnosis done by your doctor. Your doctor can help you figure out the same. But, here, it is very important for you to understand that you deserve a compensation not just to meet your medical expenses but also to meet your regular household expenses, especially if you are unable to return to work for a certain period of time. You should never accept less than what you think is the minimum compensation that you must get. If things become complicated and you find it hard to negotiate a good deal, you are strongly recommended to consider hiring an attorney. If a mutual resolution is still not reached, you can file a worker’s compensation lawsuit against your employer in the court with the help of your lawyer.
As part of the process of negotiating your workers compensation settlement, you may be asked to go through medical examinations by a doctor appointed by your employer. If it happens, you must co-operate. Always remember, employers, in most cases, try to settle the case outside the courtroom by offering a low amount of compensation immediately. If you are sure that you deserve a better compensation, you must not hesitate to negotiate.