Greeley Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you were injured on the job, you may be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits can help provide for you and your family until you are able to return to work, but unfortunately, some employers do not approve these benefits at first.
If your employer denied your workers’ compensation claim, it may be wise to hire a Greeley workers’ compensation lawyer to represent you during your dispute proceedings. Taking on your employer alone can be daunting, but with help from the right personal injury attorney, you could finally obtain the financial benefits to which you and your family are entitled.
What is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a type of employer-provided insurance that provides financial assistance to employees who are injured on the job. Like most states, Colorado require companies with a certain number of employees to maintain workers’ compensation insurance. When an employee is injured on the job, they must file a claim for compensation to help them pay for their medical and living expenses while they recover.
Workers’ compensation insurance is also beneficial to employers since employees who receive compensation are often contractually prohibited from filing personal injury claims against their employers. It is important to note, though, that the benefits paid by workers’ compensation usually only replace a portion of the paycheck an injured employee normally receives.
What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?
Workers’ compensation covers the vast majority of work-related injuries. Injuries caused by heavy physical labor, as well as injuries caused by repetitive motions such as carpal tunnel syndrome are also covered. Injuries sustained offsite will usually be covered as long as the injury was sustained on company time.
As a Greeley attorney could explain, workers’ comp coverage is not universal. More than likely, the following illnesses and injuries would not be covered by workers’ compensation:
- Injuries caused by employee misconduct
- Mental and emotional illnesses or conditions
- Injuries caused by an Act of God, such as an earthquake, hurricane, or blizzard
- Conditions caused by the inhalation of certain chemicals
- Injuries caused by defective or malfunctioning products
In the same vein, if a worker sustains injuries from a defective product at work, they would more than likely need to take legal action against the manufacturer or distributor of the product, not their employer.
Handling Claim Disputes
Workers’ compensation is usually easy to obtain if an injured employee files their claim in a timely manner, but companies do have a right to contest a claim if they do not believe an employee deserves compensation. If a company disputes the compensation claim of an employee, the employee may need to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer in Greeley to assist them during the ensuing legal procedures.
In a dispute proceeding, both sides are allowed to ask questions of the other and submit any relevant information before the presiding official to take into consideration when making their final decision. If an employee and their Greeley workers’ compensation lawyer are successful, they may be entitled to their current benefits as well as any benefits they should have received in the past.
Calling a Greeley Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you are currently involved in a workers’ compensation dispute with your employer, there is no reason to panic. You have a variety of legal options at your disposal, and there are usually ways to get your employer to provide the benefits they promised to you.
The sooner you take legal action, the sooner you could begin fighting for your benefits. Call a Greeley workers’ compensation lawyer today to start fighting for your rights.
