One of the most common questions that an individual has after getting injured at the workplace is, “Do I need a personal injury lawyer? Or will I be better off handling details myself?”
It isn’t always simple to answer this question. Add to it all the common misconceptions about lawsuits involving personal injuries, and understandably, you may not be entirely sure what’s the best thing to do.
However, some situations warrant calling a lawyer for your best interests.
Do You Need A Lawyer If You Were Injured At Work?
The accident would likely be handled through the workers’ compensation law if you got injured at work. So, There may or may not be a valid reason to hire a lawyer. This, of course, also depends on how severe your injury is, the actions taken by your employer, including its insurance company, and the overall complexity of the case.
When Do You Need To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer?
The moment a complexity arises in your case is the right time to ask professional help from an attorney. Of course, you should still be cautious when hiring one. Make sure that the lawyer you’ll choose will help solve the problem, not worsen it. That said, ask some essential lawyer questions to know if your prospect is the right fit for your needs.
Below are reasons that make calling for an intervention from a personal injury attorney an ideal thing to do.
1. Your Injury Was Caused By A Serious Misconduct From Your Employer Or A Third Party’s Action
The workers’ compensation system got designed to prevent civil lawsuits resulting from work-related injuries. However, that doesn’t mean you aren’t permitted to sue outside workers’ compensation in certain situations. You can do so when a party other than your direct employer contributed to your injury, or you got injured because of a defective product at work. For example, you have been injured because a negligent driver hit you while going to work, or you got hurt because of a malfunctioning machine. In such situations, you can sue for damages that surpass what you would get through your employer’s worker’s compensation insurance.
It’s essential to note that the money and benefits that you’ll receive from the worker’s compensation are quite low and, most of the time, won’t truly compensate for the pain and suffering you’ll experience because of the injury. That’s why it’s vital for workers who got injured at work to understand their rights.
Filing a lawsuit outside the worker’s compensation also holds when your employer doesn’t provide it. It definitely will be a good idea to talk to a personal injury lawyer so you’ll have someone to explain your situation to you and how the law applies to it.
2. The Medical Issues That Resulted From Your Injury Limit Or Prevented You From Getting Back To Work
Whether it’s a partial or total permanent disability you’ve suffered from, you may be entitled to receive a single lump sum or weekly payments to cover your lost wages. Insurance companies will, of course, find these very expensive, and they’ll often do their best to avoid paying you the amount you deserve. If that’s the case, hiring a personal injury lawyer who has in-depth knowledge of workers’ compensation involving permanent illnesses or injuries is your best bet.
3. Your Employer Doesn’t Pay Your Deserved Benefits Promptly or Even Denies Your Claim
Workers’ compensation insurers and employers routinely reject bona fide claims, as they’re confident that many workers will only fail to appeal or won’t have the courage to go to a trial. The problem is that they’re usually correct if you don’t involve a workers’ comp attorney in the scene. Getting the help of a personal injury lawyer will give you your best chance to receive a fair award or settlement for your injuries. The good news is that hiring one costs nothing upfront, you can do so even without initially having the budget for it.
4. Your Employer Retaliates Against You Because You Filed For A Claim
If your boss has engaged in any form of discrimination such as reducing your pay, slashing your hours, demoting you, or firing you for filing a workers’ compensation claim, immediately contact a personal injury lawyer who specializes in workers’ comp to protect your legal rights.
5. The Settlement Offer From Your Employer Doesn’t Cover All Medical Bills Or Lost Wages
If you think that the settlement offer isn’t good enough, don’t commit the mistake of relying on the workers’ comp judge to ensure that you’re going to get a fair deal. While it’s true that settlements from workers’ compensation must have judicial approval, most judges usually sign off on any agreement document as long as they think that it isn’t grossly unfair. That said, if your goal is to really get the best settlement possible, call an attorney to help you out instead.
Final Thoughts
When you hire an attorney to represent you in your injury case, you’ll have the chance to rest assured that everything will be fine. The most important thing you need after getting hurt, missing weeks of work for recovery, and now facing huge amounts of medical bills, is an assurance that you can eventually have your normal life back. Such peace of mind is the best reason why you need a personal injury lawyer if you’ve been hurt at work.
