Frederick Workers’ Compensation Attorney
In Frederick, Maryland, workers who suffer injuries on the job are entitled to benefits through workers’ compensation insurance policies. Employers are obligated to hold such policies, which help prevent a person from being left destitute after a work-related injury. Employers also benefit from such policies because they do not risk facing costly litigation every time that an employee is hurt on the job.
- Communication Workers Injury
- Correctional Officers Injury
- Firefighters, Paramedics & EMTs Injury
- Law Enforcement Officers Injury
- Teachers & School Employee Injury
While the coverage helps many people recover and pay their expenses in the aftermath of an accident, injured workers often find that they face unnecessary barriers in getting the coverage to which they are entitled.
At Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP, our attorneys know how much injured workers and their families need the help provided by workers’ compensation. Call us today to learn how our dedicated Frederick workers’ compensation attorneys can help you get the compensation you need.
Maryland Workers’ Compensation is a No-Fault System
If you were injured in an accident at work, it is important to understand that the cause of that injury is typically irrelevant when it comes to workers’ compensation. As long as your injuries happened in the course of your employment, you should be able to collect benefits. That coverage applies even in the case of individuals who were in accidents caused by their own carelessness rather than someone else’s. There is no need to show that your employer did something wrong.
Without workers’ compensation, an employee would only be eligible to recover compensation after proving that the employer or someone else negligently caused his or her injuries. If this were the case, many Frederick, Maryland employees would be left with no help after a work-related injury left them with medical bills and the inability to work.
What Will Workers’ Compensation Policies Cover for Injured Workers in Maryland?
If you were injured on the job in Frederick, Maryland, you can recover compensation for your medical bills and some of your lost wages. For the families of workers killed on the job, the policy should cover funeral costs and some lost wages.
For the period in which you were left out of work, you will likely recover two-thirds of your normal income. For certain professions, there may be ways to recover all of your lost wages, but such policies do not apply to most employees.
Unlike a personal injury lawsuit, you will not have the ability to recover for your pain and suffering. In personal injury lawsuits, those non-economic damages will often be for larger amounts than the economic damages. Still, not all injured workers would have a valid personal injury case, and without workers’ compensation, they would be left with no help following their injuries.
Work-Related Injuries
Most injuries and even illnesses that are caused by a person’s job should qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Common injuries in the state result from overexertion (bending, reaching, twisting, or lifting), contact with an object (crushing injuries or objects striking a person), and falls, slips, or trips.
In many cases, illnesses and certain injuries are difficult to link to a person’s job, even if they are related to employment. There are exceptions, though, such as in the case of mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer strongly linked to asbestos exposure. In such incidents, the system will assume that the disease is related to a person’s job. For this reason, certain employers’ policies may cover specific illnesses.
If you are unsure whether your claim qualifies for workers’ compensation, contact an experienced Frederick, Maryland workers’ compensation attorney.
My Maryland Workers’ Compensation Claim Was Denied. Can I Appeal?
If you were injured in the course of your job and the insurance company denied your claim, you have the right to appeal. At this point, if you have not already, you should absolutely reach out to a Frederick, Maryland workers’ compensation attorney.
Some claims are denied in error; other times, the insurer will deny the claim because they doubt that your injury is real or that it was the result of work. Other times, the insurer may believe that the claim is legitimate but that some of the care is not necessary. For these reasons, it is a good idea to understand what the policy covers before racking up huge physical therapy bills or other treatment with a provider who is not covered by the policy.
In certain situations, insurers might see that you filed previous claims and therefore view your most recent one with a greater level of scrutiny even if the claim is otherwise valid. In any of those cases, hiring an attorney can help you navigate the system and recover the compensation to which you are entitled.
Call Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP Today
At Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP, our experienced Frederick, Maryland workers’ compensation attorneys are here to help. Call us today at 301-668-2100 to discuss your claim.
