When Should You Get A Lawyer For Workers’ Comp?

If you live or work in Port Charlotte, Englewood, or Punta Gorda, you’re probably just hoping to get through the workday unscathed and then return home to friends and family. However, sometimes accidents happen, and they might even result in a serious injury when they do.

Fortunately, Florida has safety nets in place, like workers’ compensation or “workers’ comp,” to help financially assist workers. At the same time, they cannot get back to the job and need to pay for medical treatment. Unfortunately, sometimes getting workers’ comp doesn’t work out the way people expect, which may mean needing legal assistance from a professional like a workers’ comp lawyer.

When The Help Doesn’t Come

In most circumstances, workers’ comp is pretty straightforward. As long as you are injured on the job or develop an illness as a result of the job, workers’ comp is provided to you to help cover your missing salary, as well as the medical expenses required for your recovery so you can return to your job and resume your duties. For most people, workers’ comp goes off without a hitch.

But there are some instances where complications may arise even if you know you qualify for workers’ comp. In the worst cases, the workers’ comp may even be denied. When this happens, the decision can be appealed, but your greatest chance of success is to get a workers’ comp lawyer on your side to help resolve the issue. Here are the instances when you should consider getting the help of a lawyer.

There’s a Pre-Existing Condition

Pre-existing conditions can always complicate matters because an argument can be made that an injury or illness arose out of the condition and not any factor from work. This ambiguity can sometimes lead to hasty or incorrect denials of workers’ comp.

Talking to a workers’ comp lawyer in these situations can quickly help investigate and make the relevant arguments to an insurance company about why the compensation is still valid.

The Compensation Isn’t Enough

Sometimes, an insurance company will not follow through on the spirit or intention of workers’ comp while still trying to adhere to the legal requirements. One example of this is when an insurance company approves of issuing workers’ comp or coverage for medical expenses, but it’s not enough, requiring the injured worker to still draw from savings to make ends meet.
A workers’ comp lawyer can work on your behalf to restore the compensation to levels that allow you to cover treatments or monthly income.

You’re On Other Benefits

For some workers, there may already be other financial supplements in play, such as SSDI. This can complicate matters a lot, and in some cases, the bureaucracy involved may even nullify workers’ comp payments if strict attention isn’t being paid.

A workers’ comp attorney is much more familiar with the intricacies of different department and state regulations and how these benefits interact with each other.

You Have A Hearing

If you are already in a dispute for workers’ comp and have a hearing scheduled to plead your case, you can attempt this on your own, or you can reach out to a workers’ comp lawyer for help. The bureaucracy and regulations governing workers’ comp can be very complex and difficult to navigate for first-timers.

A workers’ comp lawyer is already familiar with what needs to be done to get results and what should be avoided to lose an appeal.

If you're in the Fort Meyers, Sarasota, or Port Charlotte region of Florida, and you've been hurt at work, but find that your workers' compensation may not be coming to you. We can help. Talk to one of our experienced workers' comp attorneys, and we will help you get what you deserve.