You get injured at work. As you seek medical treatment, deal with this form and that form, and your pain, your future, your financial well being, and your job all swirl around in your mind, you likely think — should I contact a workers’ compensation attorney?
The clear answer is — YES. A workers’ compensation claim can very complex, both in terms of anticipated wage loss and getting medical bills paid. You are likely asked to sign tons of forms, which you are not even really sure as to what they are. Simply put, your rights under the Workers’ Compensation Act are just too important to gamble with by yourself, especially because your employer and insurance carrier have attorneys on their end. Even more simply, at least with Mooney & Associates, a consultation about your claim, injury, and rights is FREE. It costs you nothing. We have 12 convenient office locations scattered throughout Central Pennsylvania to serve your needs. We even make house calls if needed. So it really makes little sense to not protect yourself.
Thinking back over the years, when client shave come to see me, I’ve compiled reasons why injured workers seek legal counsel. Here they are. Are they similar to your situation?
- Claim is denied. This is an obvious one. If your employer is denying your work injury and you are out of work with no income and your medical bills are not being paid, that is the most obvious reason why an injured worker would seek an attorney. It happens often. If you do not seek an attorney and file a Claim Petition for benefits, then you won’t receive the benefits the Act entitles you to.
- Unpaid medical bills or denied medical care. This frequently happens. Clients will bring medical bills into me that have been denied by the insurance carrier. Outside a denial, this usually happens when medical bills stop getting paid and treatment begins to be denied because it is ‘beyond the scope’; of the accepted injury. That’s likely because the accepted ‘sprain/strain’ or ‘contusion’ is no the accurate injury description. Not only do you need legal counsel to fight to get those medical bills paid and medical treatment approved, but to get your accurate injury description accepted.
- Notice of an Independent Medical Examination. We have provided two in-depth articles on this issue. Please feel free to link over and read. Must you attend an IME? and What is an IME?
- No contact by the Employer or Insurance carrier. Many times, workers are hurt on the job. They seek medical care, then contact their employer. They get no returned call. They reach out to the insurance adjuster about an unpaid medical bill, a denied prescription, or when they will receive their first check, since they are out of work. They do not get a returned call. Frustration mounts. That’s why you need us. We will get answers.
- Different treatment from your employer. You get hurt at work. Suddenly, your co-workers or supervisors begin to treat you differently. It becomes a more hostile atmosphere. They begin to ‘write you up’ for performance issues. Are more critical of your work. You get treated differently because you are on light duty. Many injured workers that first meet me tell me their employer would never treat them differently. It’s a great place to work. Two months later, I get that call telling me differently.
- Family/friend/co-worker advises to get an attorney. And they are smart for it. Perhaps they’ve been through a work injury and understand the pitfalls and complexities of a workers’ compensation claim. Perhaps they are just worried about you. Perhaps they have experience with your employer. Regardless, listen to their advice.
- Fear for the future. Injuries are and can be very devastating, not just physically, but emotionally and financially. What if you can’t ever return to that job? What if you will have permanent work restrictions? What if you have to have surgery? What is the fair value of a settlement? What should I expect? What if they treat me different when I return to light duty? There are so many question I hear that could fit into this category. We can help. Just come talk to us.
Mooney & Associate has twelve convenient locations throughout Central Pennsylvania. We also make house calls. If you need questions answered, just call today for a FREE consultation. Call us at 717-200-HURT.
