Worker’s compensation is a benefit program designed to compensate employees who are injured on the job. In most cases, these benefits are paid without a problem. Ideally, when an employee is injured, they notify their supervisor, get medical treatment, and begin the claims process. The managed care organization may file the claim on behalf of the employee after they are made aware of the injury by the employer or the treating physician. As long as all the necessary information is provided and the claim is approved, all medical expenses are paid by the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. Employees are also eligible for cash compensation if they are unable to work at least 14 days due to the injury.
Unfortunately, every claim is not resolved so easily, and a Workers Compensation Lawyer in Ohio has to get involved to help an injured worker get the compensation they deserve. Living with an injury that was sustained in the workplace isn’t easy. It can be even more challenging for those who don’t get treated fairly by the Bureau of Workers Compensation. The BWC has strict time frames for filing an appeal, and a person who is devoting their time to recovering from their injury or illness could easily miss the deadline. This is where an experienced attorney could help.
Treating a work-related injury or illness could require rest and a lot of medical appointments. It disrupts a person’s usual schedule and can make it very easy to miss a deadline or forget to mail the necessary paperwork for an appeal. Taking care of these matters could mean the difference between getting these bills paid by the BWC or an injured worker having to pay them out of their own pocket. By hiring a disability compensation attorney in Cleveland, the employee may be able to focus on their own recovery instead of devoting a lot of their attention and energy to their worker’s compensation claim.
With the help of an experienced Ohio workers compensation lawyer, a person who was injured while they were at work may be able to convince the BWC that their original determination was wrong and get their claim approved. There are several reasons claims are denied. In many cases, the problem is simply that the BWC didn’t have enough information to allow the claim. Without filing the appeal, the injured person may never get their bills paid and won’t be able to get the compensation they need to survive until they are able to return to work full time.
A person who suffers a tragic injury at work, where they should feel safe, should not be hurt again by the system that’s set up to compensate them when these kinds of things happen. Unfortunately, the system doesn’t always work the way it was intended, and the only way to ensure the worker’s rights are protected is for them to hire a Ohio workers compensation lawyer to represent them throughout the appeals process. An attorney could be hired at any point after an injury but, in most cases, they are brought into the case after the claim has been denied.
There are a few different remedies available through the worker’s compensation system. An employee could have their medical bills paid, get a portion of their salary while they work a lower-paying job, or get a larger portion of their salary paid to them because they are not able to work at all due to the injuries. In some cases, an employer will settle with the injured worker for a lump-sum payment that is intended to cover all of their expenses, including the allowed attorney fees. A client might discuss these options with their lawyer and decide which remedy will be best for their unique situation.
Contact our firm to schedule a free consultation and discuss your case with an attorney today.