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Getting hurt at work happens in an instant, but you’ll generally have 45 days to report the incident to your employer. The sooner you do so, however, the better. Once you’ve reported the incident to your employer, you may want to consider finding legal help.
In fact, hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer can be the difference between whether or not you receive the compensation you deserve, so it’s best not to take any chances. When you’re hurt at work, contact a workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as you can to get the process of filing a claim started.
The Most Common Types of Workplace Injuries
Injuries at work happen in seconds, but can alter your entire life, and that’s why it’s so important to get started on your claims process as soon as you can.
If you’re not sure if your specific injury will qualify for workers compensation benefits, a good starting point can be learning about some of the most common injuries that happen at work, and comparing what happened to you to those types of injuries.
After all, many injuries that happen on the workplace may seem like they won’t qualify for benefits, but they do.
Some of the most frequently occurring injuries at workplaces include:
- Caught in/compressed by: Injuries usually involving heavy machinery or factory work.
- Fall to a lower level: Falls from a ladder, roof, or down stairs.
- Workplace assaults: When one or more people is assaulted at the workplace.
- Struck by an object: Injuries caused by falling objects or objects dropped by another person.
- Struck against an object: Injuries occurring involving windows, walls, doors, etc.
- Traffic incidents: Accidents occurring while using company vehicles.
- Overexertion: Considered one of the most common injury types, these involve carrying, holding, lifting, throwing, pushing, and pulling.
- Repetitive motion: Injuries caused by repeating the same motion over and over again.
- Slips and falls: Injuries caused by slippery, uneven, or wet floors, or on uncleared sidewalks during winter.
Common Locations for Job Site Accidents in Dolton
There are certain types of locations in Dolton where job site accidents are more likely to occur, including:
Construction Accidents
Construction sites are among the most common locations where workplace injuries occur. The use of heavy machinery such as dump trucks, bulldozers, and other equipment can put workers at risk of injury. Other hazards can include construction materials and working at great heights.
Factory Injuries
Another type of work environment that puts workers at risk is a factory. Factories contain many different types of potential hazards, including heavy machinery such as transportation vehicles and manufacturing systems, along with others such as scaffolding platforms that workers may fall from at various heights.
Why You Should Consider Hiring a Work Accident Attorney in Dolton
If you have suffered a work injury, you may be eligible to receive compensation for monetary and non-monetary damages. The best way to make sure your case is a success is to work with a reliable Dolton work accident attorney.
The right lawyer will be able to help you determine if you have a viable case and work with you to get the compensation you deserve. Work injury attorneys will have the knowledge and experience needed to help you through the process all the way through to settlement.
However, it’s important to understand the steps needed for a workers’ compensation case in addition to hiring an attorney.
What You Need to Know About Workers’ Compensation Cases
Even if you do hire a workers’ compensation lawyer in Dolton to help you, you should still have a basic grasp of the concepts surrounding filing a work injury claim. For instance, you’ll want to know about the statute of limitations for your injury, as well as what paperwork you need to keep on hand.
You should also find out what sort of compensation you’ll want to fight for—this can include permanent injury compensation, lost wage compensation, medical bill reimbursement, or other compensation. If you’re not sure which is right for you or you need help with any aspect of this, a work injury attorney will be able to help explain the entire process.
The Claims Process
Filing a claim doesn’t have to be complicated—hiring legal representation can simplify the process for you.
First, you will need to notify your employer of the incident and injury within seven days of it occurring. When seeking medical care, be sure to inform staff that you’re dealing with a work injury. You may be required by your employer to see certain medical professionals or certain facilities.
Next, the insurance carrier will open a benefits claim after hearing from the doctor and employer. If the claim is found eligible for compensation, there will be a discussion among the employer, injured party, and insurance provider to determine the rate of pay for the injured person while they are out of work.
If the claim is, for some reason, denied, the worker will be allowed to appeal that decision.
About Vasilatos Injury Law
Vasilatos Injury Law is committed to helping injured workers in Dolton, IL, as well as the Chicago Metropolitan area and all over Illinois. We are committed to providing trustworthy and reliable legal representation for our clients who need help with work injury cases.
We also aim for maximum flexibility, and if you can’t make it to us, we will come to you—we offer home, hospital, and phone consultations for optimal convenience.
