Workers' Compensation Attorney in Melbourne

There are several key steps you can take after an on-the-job injury to increase your chances of recovering the compensation you need:

• Seek immediate medical treatment. If you delay treatment, your employer’s insurance company may try to argue that you weren’t seriously hurt and, therefore, aren’t entitled to benefits. Follow all of your doctor’s orders and keep detailed records of your injury and treatment.
• Notify your employer of your injury right away. Be sure to include specifics, such as the date, time, and location of your injury, as well as the names of any witnesses.
• File your workers’ compensation claim within 30 days of the incident. If you take longer than 30 days to file your claim, it could be invalidated, leaving you empty-handed even if you have a serious injury.
• Contact an attorney. You shouldn’t wait until your claim has been denied to contact a workers’ compensation attorney. By reaching out to one right away, you’ll be in better shape to file a quick appeal in the event of a denial.
• File an appeal (if necessary). Even if the insurance company has denied your initial benefits claim, you can still recover benefits. Rejections of valid claims are, sadly, quite common. By appealing (potentially more than once), you increase your odds of recovering the compensation you need to put your life back together.

You may be wondering why you need an attorney to handle your workers’ compensation claim. The process may sound fairly straightforward, but it’s anything but. Here are some ways a lawyer can help:

• Ensuring the claim is filed correctly: Like any other insurance claim, a workers’ comp claim is nuanced, complex, and subject to quite a bit of fine print. An attorney can make sure everything is correct, clear, accurate, and filed on time.
• Obtaining an impartial medical diagnosis: In order to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you’ll need to undergo an independent medical exam (IME). Unfortunately, many doctors have ties to insurance companies, and their exams wind up more favorable for the insurance company than their patients. An attorney can parse your IME to gauge its accuracy. If necessary, they can also help you receive a more objective diagnosis.
• Filing an appeal: If you thought the original claim process was complicated or hard, the appeal process is even trickier. Many insurance companies make the claim process difficult to discourage people from filing and then appealing. But workers’ compensation attorneys know the ins and outs of these claims and how best to proceed at every stage, from the initial claim through its ensuing appeals.
• Pursuing other avenues for justice: Even if your workers’ comp claim is ultimately denied, a lawyer may be able to file a lawsuit against your employer or another party—especially if your employer retaliated against you for filing the claim. However, these claims aren’t the only way to attain the justice you deserve, and an attorney can help you explore other options.

A wide array of injuries may qualify an employee for workers’ compensation benefits. Some of the more common ones include:

• Broken bones
• Head injuries (e.g., concussion)
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Hearing loss or damage
• Injuries to the back, spinal cord, neck, or shoulders
• Torn ligaments
• Exposure to toxic chemicals
• Burn injuries
• Falls

The types of compensation you may be able to recover through a workers’ comp claim generally fall under one of the following three categories:

• Medical expenses: These cover any medical costs associated with your injury, such as hospital visits, medicine, surgical procedures, and physical therapy.
• Temporary or permanent disability benefits: If your injury prevents you from returning to work, you may be eligible for temporary (up to two years’ worth) or permanent disability benefits.
• Death benefits: In the tragic event that someone dies from their workplace injury, their loved ones may be entitled to death benefits to help recover from the loss.

At Morgan & Morgan, we’ve been proudly fighting For The People since 1988. During that time, we’ve recovered $20 billion for our clients across all offices and practice areas and grown into America’s largest personal injury law firm. We take on the big insurance companies and their lawyers so you can focus on healing.

If you or a loved one have been injured on the job and you’re considering filing a workers’ compensation claim, contact us right away for a free case review. These claims are time-sensitive, so don’t wait. Reach out now to make sure you recover the compensation you need.