Hiring a Workers' Compensation Attorney - Why?

It is often a good idea to retain a workers' compensation attorney when you have a workers' compensation claim.  This is true even if your claim is accepted.

An attorney can help with many things.  First and foremost, a workers' compensation attorney acts as the go-between between you and the adjuster, employer, and insurer.  The attorney will also monitor your medical records, your time loss payments and the insurer's processing of your claim   The insurers often make errors in payment of time loss  and other areas of claim processing.  An attorney will help you recover the benefits you are owed and any penalties for errors in claim processing.

With accepted claims, it is common that the acceptance will not fully encompass your injury.  For example, the insurers often accept a "low back strain" when the real injury is a disc herniation or other more severe injury.  Another common scenario is an acceptance of a head contusion (i.e., bruise) when the real injury is a concussion.  By accepting a minor injury, the insurers are trying to limit their liability.  This can significantly limit the benefits you are entitled to.  It is a good idea to have an attorney review the scope of acceptance to help you avoid this situation.

Finally, if your claim is denied, you will need to hire a workers' compensation attorney to help you appeal the denial.

Questions about the costs of hiring a workers' compensation attorney?  See my next blog post...

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