Posted in General, Wisconsin Workers Compensation Related News
Our workers compensation lawyer at Hickey & Turim focuses on helping individuals who have been injured while on the job. Many workplace injuries are minor, but a percentage of them are not. When an employee suffers a long term or permanent injury, the damages are substantial. In those cases, workers compensation benefits are usually inadequate. This is because there is a cap or maximum on the amount of benefits the employee can receive regardless of the seriousness of their injury. This can represent a catastrophic financial hardship for the injured worker. Thankfully, they have an alternative option. Our workers compensation lawyer at Hickey & Turim can file a claim on their behalf with their employer. If the employer refuses to pay the claim, we will be prepared to pursue a civil lawsuit and take them to court if necessary. Hickey & Turim enjoys tremendous respect in the Milwaukee community because of our successful record in obtaining maximum benefits for our injured clients.
Workers Compensation Benefits
Workers compensation benefits offer injured employees pros and cons. Because it is a no-fault based program, it means that with few exceptions it does not matter who was at fault for the accident which resulted in the injury. Whether it was the employee’s own fault or not is irrelevant. However, as mentioned above there is a limit as to how much the employee might receive. In addition, they will only receive a percentage of the wages they cannot earn while they are recovering and unable to work. The benefits should include medical treatment, but it may not be optimal treatment, based on the nature and severity of the injury. (When you work with our workers compensation lawyer at Hickey & Turim, every effort will be made to secure you full compensation for your lost wages and treatment costs.)
It’s important to understand that if someone is injured at work and they accept workers compensation benefits for their damages, they are prohibited from pursuing a civil lawsuit against their employer. This is why it’s important to contact Hickey & Turim before agreeing to benefits as our workers compensation lawyer can determine if you might do better filing a claim directly with the employer.
Determining Workers Compensation Eligibility
If you sustain a serious injury while at work and your employer refuses to qualify you for workers compensation benefits, contact Hickey & Turim to speak with our workers compensation lawyer to learn if we can help you. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help clarify if you qualify for benefits:
- Did the injury occur while you were at work, or while performing a work task for your employer?
- Does the injury require medical treatment?
- Will it include surgery or expensive medical treatment?
- Will you need to take time off from work in order to recover from your injury?
If you answer yes to all of the above questions, you likely qualify for workers compensation benefits.
