What happens when you get injured on the job? Several different scenarios can present themselves, but including you needing help with medical expenses and replacement wages while you recover from your accident. When that happens, you need the assistance of personal injury lawyers in the Syracuse, Auburn and Ithaca, New York areas. The personal injury attorneys at Littman & Babiarz Attorneys at Law can help you get the care you need throughout the process for on-the-job injuries.
Do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney if I’m Injured on the Job?
Many people ask this question. After all, most businesses are required by law to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance on all employees. This coverage is specifically designed to cover an employee’s medical expenses, lost wages, and some other expenses if that employee is injured on the job. If this safety net is in place, many ask, why do I even need a personal injury attorney?
This is a fair question to ask. However, because workers’ compensation claims can be extremely expensive for both employers and insurance companies, both parties often find ways to limit injured employees from receiving all the medical care and financial compensation they need and are legally entitled to receive. Littman & Babiarz, personal injury attorneys in Auburn, Ithaca and Syracuse New York, has represented clients for over twenty years in cases involving the employers and insurance companies, providing the legal representation you need to obtain your legally-guaranteed benefits.
What Happens When I’m Injured on the Job?
Frank works in a large warehouse that stores pallets of products stacked on large, metal frames. Frank’s job is to keep a running inventory of how much and what kinds of material are on hand from day to day. In order to carry out his responsibilities, Frank must walk in between rows of stacked pallets, and often very close beside them. For safety purposes, Frank is outfitted with a hard hat, orange vest, and steel-toed work shoes.
One day, Frank is standing close beside a stack of pallets as he counts the boxes banded together on each pallet in the stack. On the other aisle opposite where he stands, another worker is attempting to retrieve a pallet of materials with a forklift. Inadvertently, the pallet of materials is pushed off the rack. Frank sees the pallet moving and moves quickly away from the stacked materials. He almost makes it.
A Personal Injury Occurs
Frank is hit and partially pinned to the floor by a heavy pallet of boxed materials. His shoulder was hit by the pallet as it fell, and his right leg is partially crushed, with several broken bones in his leg, foot, and ankle. The forklift driver, and other workers who saw the accident, rush to the scene and free Frank from the pile of material. They only move him as much as necessary, and comfort him until an ambulance arrives.
Frank is transported to the local hospital, and is accompanied by a representative from his company. The member of management informs the hospital administration that Frank was injured on the job, and his medical care will be paid for by workers’ compensation. The representative also completes a worker’s injury report for the company, including information that Frank provides, as well as other workers who witnessed the accident.
How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?
Due to the nature and extent of his injuries, Frank will need to undergo several surgeries to repair his damaged leg and foot, and will require extended hospitalization and rehabilitation. This will keep him from working for a period of at least six months. His company is informed of this diagnosis by the doctors charged with Frank’s care.
As soon as Frank is able, he has contacted Littman & Babiarz Attorneys at Law, for advice and counsel concerning his accident. One of the attorneys has gathered information concerning Frank’s accident, including copies of all paperwork filed by his company with workers’ compensation. The attorney continues to represent Frank throughout his recovery, representing him before his company and the insurance company, giving Frank the piece of mind to begin his recovery and rehabilitation.
The personal injury attorney ensures that Frank receives the medical care he needs to make a complete recovery, but he also works to see that Frank receives the replacement wages the law stipulates that workers’ compensation must provide. Because the nature of Frank’s accident requires extended care, the insurance company has offered several settlements in order to limit their costs. Frank’s attorney negotiates on his behalf in order to make sure all Frank’s needs are met before any settlement amount is reached.
Littman & Babiarz, Personal Injury Attorneys in Auburn, Ithaca and Syracuse
Frank eventually returns to work with no physical limitations from being injured on the job. Because of the representation he enjoyed from Littman & Babiarz Attorneys at Law, Frank was able to make a complete recovery without worrying about paying for medical expenses or losing his home because of lost wages. And, because of the strength of his legal representation, Frank does not have to worry about suffering any repercussions from his employers over his injury or its costs.
Have you been injured on the job? Call the personal injury attorneys at Littman & Babiarz Attorneys at Law. We can provide you with experienced and compassionate legal representation to ensure you get everything the law demands from workers’ compensation, in order to make the fullest recovery possible. Don’t trust your health and future to an insurance company. Call us today to get the legal protection you deserve with personal injury lawyers in Syracuse, Auburn, and Ithaca New York.