If you were injured on the job, you may have various worries and concerns about the future. Many individuals who sustain work-related injuries are unable to return to work for a period of time due to the incident, resulting in lost income that only compounds the heavy financial burden an injury could bring. A Pascagoula workers’ compensation lawyer may be able to help.
Workers’ compensation claims can be a complicated matter, and there are numerous rules and deadlines with which injured individuals must comply with in order to receive benefits. If you were injured in a work-related incident, speak to a knowledgeable attorney to learn about your legal options.
As with many other types of injury claims, delays in filing could be detrimental to an individual’s case. Immediately following a workplace accident, the injured worker should report the incident and any injuries to their supervisor or employer. An injured individual has 30 days in which to report the incident, but it may be beneficial to put an employer on notice as soon as the injury occurs.
It is also important to keep the statute of limitations for Mississippi in mind, which allows an injured worker two years to file a claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. A tenacious Pascagoula workers’ compensation attorney could help ensure that all claims and documentation relating to an incident are filed within the statute of limitations.
Workers’ compensation functions as a no-fault system, which means that an injured worker may receive benefits after an injury without regard given to the matter of fault. However, there are some issues that could bar or diminish an injured individual’s recovery of benefits. For example, if an injured worker was impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident or intentionally caused the injury, they may not be eligible to receive benefits.
If an injured individual is covered by their company’s workers’ compensation policy, they may be able eligible to receive compensation for the costs of medical expenses, lost wages, and disability. However, unlike personal injury claims, injured workers cannot recover compensation for damages such as pain and suffering through workers’ compensation.
One important aspect of workers’ compensation coverage concerns the scope of the injured individual’s employment. Workers’ compensation only applies for injuries which are related to the individual’s work. As such, an employer or insurance company might argue that an injured individual was not working within the scope of their employment at the time of the injury.
Mississippi law establishes that many different work-related activities, such as social events, are within the scope of employment. An experienced workers’ comp lawyer in Pascagoula could help an injured individual determine whether their case has merit and help them seek compensation.
Being injured in a workplace accident could cause overwhelming stress and pain to both you and your family. Allowing legal counsel to assist you in seeking workers’ compensation benefits could be in all your best interests.
A seasoned attorney could help prepare you for each step in the process and keep you informed of all your options. If you were injured in a work-related incident, call a Pascagoula workers’ compensation lawyer to get professional help pursuing the benefits you deserve.