REPRESENTATION OF INJURED PEOPLE
Connecticut Workers’ Compensation
The Full Compensation You Deserve
If you file your own work injury claim or hire a lawyer who is inexperienced in workers’ compensation claims, you are taking unnecessary chances. A workers’ compensation case is not the same as other injury cases. So, an attorney who is generally proficient at other things may not have the necessary knowledge and experience to properly handle a workers’ compensation matter. At Barr & Morgan, we represent, and have represented, many workers’ compensation claimants. We will aggressively pursue all benefits due to you.
Attorney John J. Morgan once represented the interests of insurance carriers. In the years since, Mr. Morgan has used the knowledge, experience, and training earned there for the benefit of injured people. We know that insurance carriers make their money by saying “No”. Sometimes you need help to force them the say “yes”. That is what we do.
We help you navigate through the complicated workers’ compensation process. We help you deal with the carrier. We help you deal with your employer. We help you deal with your doctors. If necessary, we will fully litigate your valid workers’ compensation claim.
Contact Barr & Morgan to protect your rights. We serve clients throughout Fairfield County, New Haven County, and other surrounding areas of Connecticut.
Your Workers’ Comp Benefits
If you were seriously hurt in a workplace accident, or cannot work because of a Repetitive trauma, Occupational Disease, or other work-related injury, you are entitled by law to certain benefits paid by your employer:
Medical Benefits — The employer, through its Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier, must pay all reasonable and necessary medical bills. In most cases, you have the right to see the physician or chiropractor of your chose. In rare cases, your employer may have a special workers’ compensation plan called a PPO. If so, you may be required to use doctors within the PPO. Although seemingly self-explanatory, many compensation cases require extensive litigation to assure that you are provided the treatment you need and to assure you are not being forced back to work before you are healed. Some of the benefits you may be entitled to are:
Lost Wages — If your injury prevents you from working, workers’ compensation pays weekly-lost wage benefits based upon a printed schedule. Generally speaking, the schedule reflects 70 percent of your after tax weekly income. Calculation of your weekly wage is critical. If you have two or more jobs, overtime, or certain non-monetary benefits, they may be added as well. Partial benefits may be paid if you are only able to work part-time. During the course of your claim you will hear the attorneys and the commissioner use shorthand expressions for certain benefits due such as: Temporary total disability (TT) Temporary partial disability (TP). You will need to understand these terms and others.
Permanent Impairment — You may also be compensated for any physical limitation or anatomical loss (severed fingers, back surgery, lost range of motion, chronic pain) from a work-related injury. The impairment is generally called a “Permanent Partial Disability” (PPD) and is expressed as a percentage of a scheduled body part, with a rating determined by a doctor. We frequently intervene to assure that the rating is correct and that you receive the full benefits due. You will receive the rating once the doctor determines that you have reached “Maximum Medical Improvement” (MMI). This means the doctor does not believe additional treatment will make you any better. The determination of MMI is a critical matter.
Long Term Disability — If your impairment is severe enough that you can no longer perform your job or must take a lower paying position, you may be entitled to additional benefits. Depending upon the type of benefit, they can be called a number of different things – (PT, 308a, Osterland). It is typically difficult to get these types of benefits awarded. We make sure you get all of the disability payments the law allows. Workers’ compensation may also cover vocational retraining if your permanent injury requires you to find a different line of work.
Third Party Claims Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 31-293 — Under Connecticut law, many times you cannot sue a co-worker, boss or employer for pain and suffering or negligence, but our clients are frequently able to bring claims against at fault parties. The most frequent examples are employees of other contractors on a job site. If an employee of another company is at fault for injury, you will likely have a claim against that person and their insurance. Another common example is if you are injured in a motor vehicle collision while at work. In Connecticut, you are entitled to sue a co-worker and any other at fault party for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. This is an exception to the general rule. You need to know the rules and the exceptions to correctly present your case. Make sure you get the help you need.
Comprehensive Experience
Barr & Morgan serves Fairfield and New Haven Counties as well as other places throughout the state of Connecticut. We represent clients in every kind of job or trade: construction workers, line workers, city and state employees, factory and warehouse employees, landscaping and outdoor trades, agricultural workers, office workers, and others. Workers’ compensation covers anyone injured in the scope of employment, regardless of fault.
We have secured workers compensation benefits in a wide range of work injury claims:
Aggressive Pursuit of Your Benefits
If your injury results in significant medical bills and lost time from work, you should involve an attorney as early as possible to make sure your claim is properly compensated.