Workers' Compensation Attorney in Norwalk

Why do some employers refuse to purchase the required amount of workers’ compensation insurance? The answer is because of the costs associated with buying comprehensive coverage. Employers deny valid claims because, for every claim approved for compensation, their annual premiums increase as well. In Connecticut, employers that do not purchase workers’ compensation pay a steep price for violating state law.

The Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act penalizes employers for failing to carry the proper amount of workers’ compensation insurance. If the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC) discovers an employer has not purchased workers’ compensation insurance or has bought an insufficient amount of coverage, the WCC has the legal power to issue a stop-work order. A stop-work order prohibits employers based in Connecticut from operating until they show proof that they have purchased the right amount of workers’ compensation coverage from an approved insurance company. The WCC also can levy a fine of $300 for every uninsured employee.

Failing to comply with the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act can cost employers tens of thousands of dollars and/or disruptions in their business operations. The threat of action taken by the WCC alone is enough motivation for employers to buy enough workers’ compensation insurance.

Both parties involved in a workers’ compensation dispute do not have to resolve the dispute through litigation. In Connecticut, both employers and workers have the opportunity to negotiate a settlement to avoid participating in the costly and time-consuming judicial process. Your workers’ compensation lawyer in Norwalk negotiates with the adjuster representing the insurance company. After receiving an initial offer from your lawyer, the insurance adjuster can either accept the proposed value for settlement or send back a counteroffer. The insurance adjuster and your workers’ compensation lawyer in Norwalk can exchange several rounds of counteroffers until both parties reach a settlement or decide to move on to the litigation process.

One of the most important sections of a workers’ comp claim concerns the section that requires you to explain how you got hurt in the workplace. Although workers can sustain injuries from several types of causes, the workers’ compensation attorneys at Morgan and Morgan have come up with the three most common causes of workplace accidents.

Falls

Falls represent one of the most common causes of workplace injuries. Falls from elevated locations such as a scaffold or ladder can produce serious, even life-threatening injuries such as brain trauma and spinal cord damage. Even a slip and fall can cause a worker to sustain a fractured wrist or arm because of the instinct of using one or both arms to brace for impact. Falls are an especially alarming cause of workplace injuries since they usually surprise victims, which gives them little time to take corrective action.

Repetitive Motion

When you think about workplace injuries, you probably think about high-profile accidents like fires, explosions, and collapsed infrastructures. However, many workplace injuries such as repetitive motion injuries do not take place in physically demanding environments. Instead, repetitive motion injuries can negatively impact employees that spend all day typing and constantly using a computer mouse. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) represents an especially painful type of repetitive motion injury.

Improper Lifting Technique

As another low-profile cause of workplace injuries, improperly lifting objects regardless of weight can trigger acute back pain. Bending your knees to lift an object takes the pressure off the back and shoulders. However, many employees either ignore the advice to bend their knees or simply do not know how to lift an object correctly. For the most serious cases, improperly lifting an object can cause a herniated disk or worse, fractured vertebrae. Employees that sustain injuries as the result of improperly lifting an object can feel back pain for the rest of their lives.

Each of the 49 states that passed workers’ compensation laws has established a process for filing a claim. However, several steps remain the same regardless of where you live. If you sustained one or more injuries as the result of a workplace accident, a workers’ compensation lawyer in Norwalk, CT helps you follow the steps you need to follow for the submission of a convincing claim.

Get Treated for Your Injuries

Both employers and insurance adjusters consider the amount of time that elapses for a worker to seek medical attention when it comes to reviewing a claim. The first thing to do after a workplace accident is to seek medical care. Some injuries such as whiplash and a concussion take a few hours or even a couple of days for the symptoms to develop. The results of diagnostic tests, as well as a detailed description of treatments, play an influential role in determining the status of a workers’ compensation claim.

Inform Your Employer

Notifying your employer is required for you to file a workers’ compensation claim. The workers’ comp claim filing process starts inside your employer’s human resources department. According to Connecticut law, your employer must file an incident report with the WCC. In addition, your employer must file a copy of the same incident report with its insurance company. Although many states give employees 30 days to inform their employers concerning an injury, Connecticut requires workers to notify their employers immediately after a workplace accident.

Submit the Workers’ Comp Claim Form

After informing your employer about the workplace accident that caused you to sustain one or more injuries, your employer has just a few days to hand you a workers’ compensation claim form. You must complete every section with accurate information. Just one empty section or one minor mistake such as writing down the wrong contact information for your employer can force the insurance adjuster processing your claim to deny it. Hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Norwalk from Morgan and Morgan ensures you file an accurate and completely filled-out claim in a timely manner.

In Connecticut, you must file Form 30C, which notifies the WCC that you plan to file a claim for financial assistance.

Insurance Adjuster Issues Decision

Just because your employer is required by Connecticut law to purchase workers’ compensation insurance does not mean the insurance adjuster processing your claim automatically approves it. Just like with car insurance and health insurance, every event that requires the approval of an insurance claim eventually leads to an increase in the price of an annual premium. This means your employer might apply pressure on the insurance adjuster to deny a value claim. Another hurdle to clear involves the insurance adjuster’s request for you to undergo a second physical evaluation conducted by a different healthcare provider to determine the extent of your injuries.

Hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Norwalk from Morgan and Morgan ensures the insurance adjuster processing your claim gives it the attention that it deserves.

Return to Work

When you return to work might develop into a contentious issue between you and your employer. First, your employer might demand that you seek approval from an employer-chosen healthcare provider. Second, your employer might balk at trying to find you another position that allows you to perform while dealing with your injuries. Third, your employer might refuse to provide you with reasonable accommodations, which if you develop a disability violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer from Norwalk, Connecticut is much more about getting you the compensation that you deserve. It also is about helping you resume your career when the time is right.

Hiring the best workers’ compensation lawyer in Norwalk is crucial in your quest to recover the financial losses caused by a workplace accident. At Morgan and Morgan, our workers’ comp attorneys possess a thorough understanding of Connecticut workers’ comp statutes, many of which change frequently. You can expect a responsive communicator who promptly returns emails, phone calls, and text messages. Our job is to help you focus on what matters most, which is making a full recovery from the injuries that you sustained in the workplace.

Schedule a free case evaluation today to learn more about how to file a successful workers’ compensation claim.