Have you recently been injured at work?
Becoming injured at work should never be a life-altering experience. Thanks to the Michigan Workers’ Disability Compensation Act, employees are guaranteed medical care and wage compensation when they become injured or disabled at work. All businesses in Michigan with one or more employees are required by law to carry insurance covering workman’s comp. You may be entitled to some or all of the following:
- Medical Care
- Wage Loss Benefits
- Prompt Payment
- Vocational Rehabilitation Hearings
- Mediation
- Rehabilitative Care
What should I do?
Depending on the injury and the employer, there may be a litany of steps that take place over a period of several months. Regardless of the nature of the incident, you should always seek immediate medical attention and notify your employer as soon as possible. From there, the help of workman’s comp professionals can alleviate the undue stress of becoming injured at work.
After the injury has been reported, most employers will require you to fill out a claim. While it is suggested that an injury is reported within 90 days of occurrence, it is important to note that past-due benefits cannot be obtained for injuries dating back more than two years. Details of the injury will be required for the claim, so be sure to maintain a record of the date, time, place, and as many specifics of the incident as possible.
Claims are then filed with the employer’s insurer, as well as with Michigan’s Workers’ Compensation Agency. After the claim has been evaluated, you will be contacted about the benefits to which you are entitled.
Why seek legal help?
Obtaining workman’s comp in Michigan is generally quite straight-forward, but too often those without the help of legal professionals do not receive all the benefits for which they are eligible. Depending upon the severity of the injury, the recovery process may leave you out of work for an extended period of time, if not indefinitely. Aside from assisting you in the initial claims process, an experienced workman’s comp lawyer may be able to help you with the following:
- Answering client questions
- Ensuring receipt of the accurate compensation rate
- Securing long-term care attendants
- Obtaining reimbursement for medical care
- Determining appropriate conditions for returning to work
- Contacting medical professionals and maintaining organized records
- Evaluating all eligible benefits
- Negotiating settlements
While workman’s comp cases are typically settled expediently and to the claimant’s satisfaction, all work-related injuries should be taken seriously and handled with legal separation lawyer expertise when possible.
Many law offices do not charge fees up front, and the rate of workman’s comp lawyers are based upon benefits recovered and the procedural process of each case.
Recovery after a work injury is stressful and arduous on its own, don’t let the workman’s comp process add insult to injury.
Kelly Manuel is a writer and illustrator who has been published in many books for children. Her favorite things to do are read, draw, and play with her dog. Kelly Manuel was born on October 18th, 1985. She grew up as an only child but she always had lots of dogs around the house because her parents were both veterinarians. She loved reading from a very young age and would often make up stories about the dogs that came into the clinic where she lived with her parents.