Recent assessments place Chicago eighth among cities for new buildings, with more than $100 billion set aside for prospective projects. For competent tradespeople, the quantity of new buildings opens many employment prospects. However, more personnel on the job sites means a higher risk of accidents on the job site. Slips and falls to lower levels, responsible for 401 recent fatalities, are the leading cause of mortality for construction personnel.
So as a worker, what should you do when your life is also affected by such incidents? In that case, your best option is to contact a workers compensation lawyer Chicago who can deliver you justice and rightful compensation.
In Chicago, nearly 182,000 workers were hurt by falls alone, accounting for more than 15% of all workplace injuries in 2020. Ladders, rooftops, and scaffoldings are typically the sources of these mishaps, with roofs being the most frequent source.
This article will highlight factors you should consider to receive the best legal help from these legal experts.
What are Your Legal Options After a Workplace Injury?
If you’ve been injured at work, the last thing you will think about is the possibility of losing your job. But if you get hurt on the job, what are your legal options?
If you’re hurt badly enough that you have to miss work, or your medical bills are so high that they threaten to wipe out your savings, it may be time to look into workers’ compensation. It pays for medical bills and lost wages up to a specific limit. It can also provide monetary awards for permanent disabilities caused by workplace injuries.
If workers’ comp isn’t available in your state or you don’t qualify, there’s still hope. You may sue your employer under premises liability laws or state labor laws.
If your employer’s actions were intentional or negligent—if they knew about the danger but failed to warn you—then you could file a personal injury lawsuit against them in civil court. This would allow you to receive compensation beyond what workers’ comp will cover.
How can a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Help you With Your Claim?
A worker’s compensation lawyer in Chicago helps injured workers get their rightful benefits by investigating their cases and filing the necessary paperwork with their state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission. Because these cases involve insurance companies, they often require legal representation due to the complexity of the procedure and the resources available to those companies.
Workers’ compensation lawyers typically handle all aspects of a workers’ compensation case from beginning to end. They will advise on whether you have a viable claim, help you file your claim correctly, monitor the progress of your claim, negotiate with insurers on your behalf and represent you at hearings before administrative law judges if necessary.
Final Thoughts
You might have a right to financial compensation if you were injured at work. To know whether or not you are entitled to that compensation, you should get in touch with your local work comp attorney. Even if it turns out that you are not entitled to any money, your legal counsel can help you collect evidence and demonstrate your employer’s negligence.
A happy mom, professional article writer, SEO practitioner, blogger, guest blogger & freelancer. She’s been in digital marketing since 2018. She loves reading books and spending time with her family.
Michael Fallquist says
Workplace injuries are nothing short of serious and it’s important to know what your options may entail, too. Thanks for sharing!