After you report your injuries, based on the accident’s seriousness, it is in your best interest to seek legal help from a workers’ compensation attorney. While you don’t need to enlist the help of a lawyer, the following are signs that show that you should hire a workers’ compensation attorney:
1. When there is a Hearing
A workers’ compensation hearing might not always be required. But if an insurance firm is not willing to make minimal settlement offers or won’t settle, you might be required to substantiate your workers’ compensation claims and prove the case through a hearing.
Again, this kind of situation will need the experience of the best negotiation. Unless you are familiar with workers’ comp law as well as your legal rights as a worker, it will be a great idea to deal with someone who has a better understanding of Washington’s court systems, and the claim needs a hearing.
2. Change in Employer Behavior
Injuries are bound to happen. As an injured worker, you are entitled to file for a claim and recover compensation for lost wages. Losing a worker can cause some employers aggravation or stress.
Those emotions may change the behavior of employers. And they might even take out aggression on workers. Because of your injuries, you can get threats about going back to work.
If your employer starts to achieve this way, a workers’ compensation lawyer may gather this information as part of the employee’s details on file. An attorney may help to protect your employment security and claim during this time.
3. Permanent Disability Ratings are Disputed
The bulk of many workers’ awards and comp settlements are meant for permanent disability benefits. Normally, those benefits are calculated depending on permanent disability ratings.
If an insurance firm doesn’t agree with the permanent disability ratings that your doctor doesn’t assign, it might need you to attend IME (independent medical examination).
The doctor is likely to assign a lower disability rating that an insurance firm can use to justify to pay you less compensation amount. An attorney will be important to get you a better settlement and convince the judge that you deserve a fair compensation amount.
4. Another Party Got Involved
Workers may seek more settlement from a third party when a third party is involved. There are several examples of a third party, like other coworkers and manufacturers or sellers of equipment, which you used while in the line of duty.
However, it does come with complications since you won’t be able to file for a civil case against employers for third-party liability. It is possible to go beyond a workers’ comp case when another individual is liable for your injuries.
The Bottom Line!
The system of workers’ comp is intended to provide fair and prompt compensation to every injured employee. But at times, it works in favor of insurers and employees. This is why hiring the best workers’ comp attorney in Washington is important to offer you legal support.
