Workers’ compensation is meant to help employees who sustain workplace injuries pay their bills. It offers benefits such as medical expense coverage, as well as temporary and permanent disability. The process of seeking these benefits must be simple. Ideally, the process involves reporting your injury, filing workers’ comp benefits, reviewing your case, approving the claim, and getting the benefits you deserve.
However, it is not always as straightforward as it seems. During the process, your claim can be denied or devalued. In general, it is best to hire a Virginia Beach workers comp lawyer to give you legal assistance. Here’s why having an attorney on your side when filing a workers’ comp claim is important:
You Sustained Serious Workplace Injuries
If you were in an accident at work that caused severe injuries, you must work with a lawyer as soon as possible. You must seriously consider this if your injuries can affect your health and ability to work in the long term. Often, severe work-related injuries require a significant amount of money. However, insurance providers will want to pay as little money as possible. Because of this, it can be hard to recover your benefits. A skilled attorney can help you make the best decisions for your situation.
Your Claim Has Been Denied
If your workers’ comp claim has been denied, you need to understand why the insurance company did so and how to best appeal its decision. Unfortunately, this is usually a complicated process. The denial may have been decided due to a lack of medical documentation, incomplete paperwork, or a dispute with your employer. A competent attorney can review the decision and give you advice on how to file a protest. This protest must be done within 60 days from the day the denial was made, so you must consult with a lawyer as soon as possible.
Your Benefits are Not Paid
Insurance companies will try to underpay you without good reason. Your attorney can even the playing field and ensure the insurance company remains accountable. Without the benefits you need, you won’t be able to fund your needs and the needs of your family while you cannot return to work due to your workplace injury.
You Have a Third-Party Claim
In general, you are not permitted to sue a coworker or your employer; however, you can sue a reckless third party to recover more damages. For instance, if you are a company driver and another driver caused your accident that resulted in your injuries, you can pursue more compensation from the negligent driver. Your attorney will walk you through your options for recovery.