After getting injured on the job, you would expect your employer to be sympathetic. You would also want to get a fair compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. The workers’ compensation system in Arizona is a no-fault insurance system. It allows an injured employee to seek compensation, but they cannot directly sue the employer. All employers in Arizona are required to have this insurance. Filing a claim and getting a fair settlement from your employer’s insurance company won’t be easy, which is also why you need to lawyer up. In this post, we are sharing more on how a workers compensation lawyer in Phoenix can help.
- Explain your rights. Immediately after the workplace mishap, it can be hard to think straight. You need someone who can explain your rights and suggest a list of dos and don’ts. For instance, you are required to maintain your file of medical documents and treatments, but because you are dealing with a lot, you may miss that. Your attorney is your best bet at protecting your interests.
- Negotiate with the insurance carrier. Eventually, your workers’ compensation benefits are paid by an insurance company, and insurance companies are ill-famed for their tactics. Their claims adjuster will want to settle quickly and for as less as possible. If you hire an attorney, they will deal with the negotiation and ensure that you don’t settle for a lower amount.
- Deal with the paperwork. Filing a workers’ compensation claim also involves a considerable amount of paperwork. Your lawyer will bring the case before the governing board – The Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA). If a hearing is required, you need an attorney to represent you in front of an administrative law judge.
- File a third-party lawsuit. In some cases, you could sue a third party for your injuries. For instance, if you were working on a machine that had a manufacturing defect, you could sue the manufacturer for their role. It all depends on the facts of the case, and your lawyer will help you explore all aspects. If your employer doesn’t have workers’ comp insurance, you could potentially sue them too.
As you may have guessed, hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer is simpler and more useful than you think. If you want legal advice, you have to act immediately. Talk to a reliable lawyer about the benefits that you are entitled to.