Workers' Comp: Should You Settle?

Posted on: 23 January 2018

If you've been injured at your job, you should take advantage of your employer's workers' compensation insurance. This service, provided at no extra charge by your employer, allows you to recuperate and get better while earning a certain percentage of your salary. Additionally, you won't need to worry about those outrageous medical bills either, since workers' comp insurance pays for all of that. At some point, you may be facing the potential for a more serious injury. Read on to learn more about settling when you are dealing with a permanent injury.

Permanent Injuries

Some injuries are just more severe, and often the possibility of having a permanent injury is raised from the very beginning. For example, if you have a severe burn, an amputation, or a spinal injury with paralysis, both you, your doctor, and the workers' comp insurance carrier will recognize that they will be dealing with a permanent injury. In these cases, you may be offered a settlement fairly early on in the process.

In other cases, it may take more time to know the full extent of your injury. Most work-related injuries resolve in a few days or weeks, and you can then return to your job. Others are more tricky, and they take longer to heal or they end up never fully healing. For example, a back injury can take longer to heal and sometimes requires surgery. If after a certain amount of time and treatment you are still in too much pain to work at your job, you may have a permanent injury. Once the workers' comp insurance compny declares that your injury has reached maximum medical improvement, you will be offered a settlement.

Lump Sum or Weekly?

Once the settlement issue arises, you may offered a choice of settlement methods. Needless to say, you will need the help and support of a workers' comp attorney, like those at Madden Law Firm the second you can, to help you with settlement negotiations. You may be offered an amount that is far less than you really deserve, and your attorney will know how to make sure that you and your family are financially protected until you reach retirement age. The way you receive your settlement is vital, and your attorney can help you to negotiate a structured settlement. This just means that your money comes to you in a certain way that makes the most of your situation, and takes into account the potential for also earning Social Security payments. This is a complicated process, so leave it to a legal professional.

 

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