Best Workers' Compensation Attorney

What Is Considered a Workplace Injury?

What Type of Injuries Are Covered by Workers Compensation?

Occupational Illness

An occupational illness is a chronic ailment caused by prolonged exposure to workplace hazards or work activities.

There are several types of occupational illnesses that you could potentially suffer from, including:

• Occupational Respiratory Illnesses

• Occupational Cancers

• Stress and Mental Health Illnesses

• Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

• Occupational Dermatitis

• Musculoskeletal Disorders

• Repetitive Stress Injuries

• Chemical Poisoning

Specific Incident Injuries

Pre-Existing Conditions Made Worse by Work

Specific incident injuries are pretty cut and dry, and it's easy to know if that injury is compensable through workers' comp.

But what happens if you have a pre-existing condition?

For example, let's say you've had a bad back for a while, but you injure it again on the job. For the most part, if an on-the-job injury aggravates a pre-existing condition, it should be covered under workers' compensation. Even if a work accident accelerates the progression of an existing injury, it could still be covered under workers' compensation.

Some injuries may be labeled as temporary aggravations. If the injury causes pain for a couple of days but then dissipates, workers' compensation would not consider it severe enough.

If you've endured pain for an extended period that has increased since the work accident, then it is likely not temporary aggravation.

If you have a pre-existing condition that was made worse by a workplace injury, make sure your doctor notes that the work accident worsened your condition or accelerated the need for treatment.

What Injuries Are NOT Covered By Workers’ Compensation?

Not every workers' compensation claim is approved, so what injuries get denied?

Even though most workplace incidents are automatically covered through workers' comp, there are rare situations where your benefits could be reduced or denied.

Some of these situations include:

• Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the accident

• Stress or other psychiatric disorders

• Self-inflicted injuries

• Injuries caused by fighting or horseplay

• Injuries caused by not following safety protocol

• Injuries incurred while committing a crime

• Injuries from engaging in a personal fight not related to your employment

• Not using provided safety devices or gear

• Providing false information to receive benefits

How Do You File a Workers Compensation Claim?

To receive workers' comp benefits, you have to file a claim in a timely manner.

To start the claims process, you need to:

• Notify your employer about the work injury or illness. Include the date, time, type of injury, and how the injury occurred.

• File a formal workers' compensation claim.

These steps are crucial. It is extremely tough to get compensation if you do not go through the correct steps of filing a claim. Once you've done that, your employer and their insurance company will choose a doctor to conduct an independent medical examination.

The doctor will report the results to the insurance company who uses those results to come up with a workers' comp benefits amount.

The workers' comp claims process and the statute of limitations differ slightly from state to state, so check your local regulations or contact an experienced workers' compensation lawyer at Helping the Hurt.

Do Not Wait to File Your Work Injury Claim

It is paramount that you file your claim as soon as possible after the accident occurs if you want workers' comp coverage. Failing to comply with deadlines could result in losing your chance to receive compensation for your injuries.

At Helping The Hurt, we are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve for your workplace injuries. Working closely with our workers' compensation attorneys will keep you from missing deadlines and ensure that the proper documents are filled out correctly and promptly.

Our team of attorneys is experienced in personal injuries and ready to assist you with your workers' compensation case. We believe that you are entitled to the maximum workers' compensation benefits.

If you were recently injured on the job, click the button below to schedule a free case review with one of our work injury experts. Don't delay!

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