When you are injured on the job, it can lead to expensive medical treatment and lengthy time away from work. Indeed, getting hurt at work can be serious, and even result in death. Workers’ compensation benefits exist to cover injured workers’ medical expenses and provides benefits in place of lost wages suffered.
Whether your work injury falls under the State of Connecticut Workers Compensation Commission or the Federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), the first question is you need a workers’ compensation lawyer to handle your claim?
Hiring an experienced workers’ compensation attorney has its benefits and drawbacks. Some of the advantages and disadvantages include:
Advantages of Hiring an Experienced Workers’ Comp Attorney
- A skilled Connecticut workers’ compensation lawyer can make sure you file all the necessary paperwork on time and fill it out properly. You claim can be denied for even small errors in your paperwork.
- A workers’ comp lawyer can ensure you receive all the benefits you are entitled to receive, and that those benefits continue for as long as possible.
- Generally, an injured worker who hires an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer receives more money for their claim than workers who do not hire a lawyer. Simply put insurance companies are well aware of the benefits they are required to pay, but unless you know to seek these benefits you will not receive them.
- If your claim is denied, especially if you did not have an attorney for handling your claim initially, an experienced workers’ comp lawyer can appeal the denial. In many cases, the worker is successful on appeal when an experienced workers’ comp lawyer handles the case.
- A workers’ compensation lawyer can handle discussions with insurance companies and the workers’ compensation commission on your behalf so you can focus on getting well.
- All insurance companies and most employers have lawyers to handle workers’ compensation claims. If you do not hire a lawyer, you will need to talk directly to those lawyers. With an experienced workers’ comp lawyer, your lawyer can speak to the other lawyers for you.
- An experienced workers’ comp lawyer can answer all your questions and will have your best interest in mind.
Disadvantages of Hiring a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
- Some workers see hiring an attorney as aggressive and negative, but the reality is that employers have a team of insurance attorneys to handle the employer’s side of the workers’ compensation process.
- All hearings and other meetings must be scheduled around the attorney’s schedule. This might make the claims process take longer. However, your workers’ comp lawyer will handle dealing with insurance company including the adjusters and attorneys. This means the process will require less of your time and ensure you receive all the benefits you are entitled to under Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act.
- Your attorney works on a contingency fee basis. This means they are not paid until they collect money for you. The workers’ comp lawyer will be paid 20% of benefits received. This means you will receive less than 100% of the money. However, an attorney typically will not collect their fee when you are totally out of work. While your attorney is paid from the benefits you receive, in nearly all cases you will receive more compensation on your workers comp claim than if you handled it yourself. In other works, you may end up with more money when you hire an attorney even though a percentage is being paid to the workers’ comp lawyer.
To learn more about the Workers’ Compensation practice at Conway, Londregan, Sheehan & Monaco, please click here.