REPRESENTATION OF INJURED PEOPLE
Injuries at Work
Workers Compensation Claims
If you get hurt at work, it is a bad day. Do not make it worse by ignoring the injury or by failing to protect your rights. Barr & Morgan represents all kinds of workers who have suffered injuries on the job. We represent landscapers, painters, construction workers, nurses, doctors and health care workers, firefighters, EMT’s, police officers, teachers, electricians, carpenters, communication workers, iron and steel workers, operating engineers, pipe fitters, waiters and waitresses, cooks, corrections officers, anyone injured on the job.
If you suffer an injury while at work, you are likely entitled to recover workers‘ compensation benefits. You are entitled to benefits whether you are an American citizen, a resident or even if you do not have papers at all. If you have a serious injury, such as a fracture or broken bone, surgery, herniated disks, or torn ligaments, you may have no choice but to seek worker’s compensation. We are here to help make sure you receive all the benefits to which you are entitled.
What Are The Benefits?
Generally speaking, you are entitled to payment of related medical bills, replacement of a portion of your lost wages and payments to compensate you for any permanent loss of function to parts of your body. Certain workers may also be entitled to wage differential benefits or retraining for a new kind of job if you can no longer perform your old job.
Medical Benefits
In most cases, if you are injured at work, you may seek medical attention from ANY doctor licensed to practice in Connecticut. YOU ARE USUALLY NOT REQUIRED TO GO TO YOUR EMPLOYER’S DOCTOR. If you are injured at work and you need medical assistance, get it. If necessary, go to the hospital. If you experience an emergency: such as serious pain, an obvious deformity, a serious laceration or paralysis of any kind, do not wait to see a doctor. All hospitals and most doctors understand the basics of workers compensation and will treat all emergency injuries. After you deal with emergency care, it is important to hire an experienced lawyer to work with your doctors to assure that the claim is properly documented. This is import for getting the doctors paid. It is also important to coordinate benefits and make sure you get the care you need, when you need it. You need to heal quickly and get back to your life.
Lost Wages
You will need a note from your doctor to miss work. If the doctor holds you out of work, you are entitled to lost wage benefits. These benefits are based upon a table calculated off your “Average Weekly Wage.” This calculation of average wage is critical. Employers and insurance companies frequently do not make the calculations correctly. A qualified attorney can help. Once the Average Wage is calculated, the application of the Compensation table to ascertain the Basic Compensation Rate may also be complicated. It is based upon your income tax forms, as well as your immigration status. Executing the forms incorrectly may result in reduction of benefits and might result in civil, criminal or immigration penalties. Needless to say, those forms may prove CRITICAL to the outcome of your case as well as the rest of your life.
Permanent Loss of Function
If your doctor tells you that your treatment is finished, but you still have impairment, you can request that your doctor provide a numerical estimate for the impairment to each body part injured in the accident. That numerical impairment is used to calculate your “permanency” benefit. Many times, the insurance company will disagree with the treating doctor. If so, you may have to visit the company doctor. A good lawyer can help resolve the dispute between your doctor and the company doctor.