After a workplace injury, workers compensation can help you recover without suffering major financial burdens. Unfortunately, the standard compensation option may not be enough for all workers. If you don't ask--or know how to ask--the tough questions while providing the right evidence to get enhanced assistance, you could be leaving a lot of money and other forms of assistance on the table. Before signing anything, consider a few situations that could lead to better payouts and general assistance from the workers compensation system.
Financial Hardship Doesn't Have To Happen
Workers compensation only pays up to a certain percentage of your paycheck. It may be a flat percentage, while states such as California use more specific calculations to settle on an amount.
For some employees, this is a much-needed bill and family support payment during a time of extreme pain. For others, this can be seen as a paid vacation that is just a bit less than the normal paycheck. Not all workers can afford a pay cut no matter the type of off-time, especially if their normal paycheck wasn't making ends meet in the first place.
If you simply can't afford the pay cut, don't take this as a loss. The worst thing you can do is suck it up and carry on, because that helps no one but the insurance system--and when it comes to covering a slight wage gap, the money won't seriously be missed by anyone but you. Thankfully, you just need to ask to start the compensation assistance process.
A few unfortunate workers may run into problems in the process. Some businesses or insurance officials may not know of the policy and may not have any information, or you may just be working with disagreeable people. Don't sweat it and don't argue; just don't sign anything, then consult a workers compensation law office, such as Shaw Leslie Law Office.
How Can A Law Office Help?
The workers compensation system is complex, both from having many standards to follow as well as exceptions to those standards. There are more ways to get additional compensation than a person without a full legal education can even guess, but it needs to be done the right way to get help in a timely fashion.
Bridging a financial hardship gap is one of those options, but you may be able to get more than just workers compensation pay for a temporary period. If you were declared fit for work, but still feel like you have problems caused by the injury, don't simply take the doctor's word. Consult a lawyer and figure out what to do next.
Your legal team can connect you with medical professionals who aren't connected to the compensation process to figure out what could be wrong. This could lead to additional compensation time, or a push for disability through programs such as social security. It could even be a personal injury claim against a business or individual if malicious intent or gross negligence is found.
Contact a workers compensation legal team to discuss the additional compensation you may be entitled to.
