Fall From Height Injuries Lawyer

One of the first items on your workers’ comp lawyer’s to-do list is to determine the cause of your fall from an elevated height. Witness accounts help, but the key is to collect and organize physical evidence that clearly points to one or more causes. With more than three decades of experience, the team of workers’ compensation attorneys at Morgan and Morgan has discovered four reasons to be the most common causes of falls from heights.

Structurally Unsound Roof

Like other components of a structure, roofs have a lifespan that is calculated by the type of materials used and how long a structure is exposed to harsh weather elements. Roofs designed with skylights, cement sheeting, and/or corrugated steel are especially vulnerable to a compromise of structural integrity. The combination of too much weight and the aging of materials can cause a roof to collapse.

Instability of Equipment

Equipment such as ladders, scaffolds, platforms, and suspension harnesses provide support for trade professionals that work from elevated heights. Unstable equipment can force a worker to lose balance, which can cause a fall from an elevated height. Following a maintenance schedule to ensure the superior performance of equipment should prevent a fall from an elevated height that produces serious injuries.

Falling Objects

Working at an elevated height exposes workers to falling objects such as the debris that collects on a roof. Objects such as tiles, bricks, and wood can generate tremendous impact when they make contact with a trade professional working on a ladder, scaffold, or platform. Although workers should receive protection from a suspension harness, the velocity of an impact from a falling object can knock a worker off an elevated workspace.

If you work at a construction site in which other trade professionals are working above you, falling objects like tools can cause a considerable amount of physical damage.

Harsh Weather Conditions

The wind is not a friend of a trade professional who has to work at an elevated height. This is particularly true for trade professionals that work at an elevated height in a downtown area where the buildings are close enough to create a powerful wind tunnel. Despite wearing a suspension harness, high winds not only can cause a worker to lose balance, but high winds also can blow over the elevated platform that is secured to provide stability.

Trade professionals working at elevated heights also have to handle ice, snow, and fog.

Each of the 49 states that require private sector employers to purchase workers’ comp insurance implements different procedural rules for filing a claim for financial assistance. However, regardless of where you live, you should complete the following steps before filing a workers’ compensation claim.

Medical Care for Your Injuries

The primary reason why you should file a workers’ compensation claim after a workplace accident is to recover the financial losses that are produced by medical expenses. In addition to mitigating the pain triggered by your fall from an elevated height, seeking prompt medical care gives you an idea about the extent of your injuries and the prognosis of you making a full or partial recovery.

Contact a Fall From Height Injuries Lawyer

Before you initiate the workers’ comp process, you should hire an experienced attorney who helps you file the most convincing claim. One of the highly-rated fall from height injuries lawyers at Morgan and Morgan meets with you for a free case evaluation to determine the cause of your fall, as well as explain what you need to do during the workers’ compensation claim process. Having an attorney from Morgan and Morgan providing legal support might expedite the claim process, especially if your legal counselor has established a positive working relationship with the insurance adjuster who is investigating your case.

Start the Claim Process

Another reason to speak with a Morgan and Morgan workers’ comp lawyer before you start a claim is that most states give injured employees up to 30 days to report work-related injuries to their employers. Reporting the workplace accident to your employer gets the insurance company involved to process your claim for financial assistance. Your employer gives you the documents to complete, as well as explains your rights as established by state workers’ compensation statutes.

You should act with a sense of urgency when filing a workers’ comp claim to prevent your medical bills from placing you in financial distress.

Complete and Submit the Claim Form

Accurately completing the workers’ compensation claim form is important because any errors or incomplete information can lead to a denied claim. Check with your fall from height injuries lawyer to determine whether your state requires workers to file a copy of the claim form with the state workers’ compensation board. Make sure you provide current contact information and submit as much detail as possible that describes the workplace accident and the injuries that resulted from the incident. 

Receive a Decision

Most workers’ comp cases result in an approved claim for financial assistance. However, determining how much money to award for a fall from an elevated height workplace accident can prolong the workers’ compensation claim process. The primary reason for the delay is the injuries sustained might require extended physical therapy in an attempt to get you back to work in some capacity.

If you do not make a full or partial recovery from the injuries sustained by an elevated fall, you might qualify to receive Social Security disability benefits.

Return to Work

The hard work you put in during treatments and rehabilitation has paid off, as you received approval to return to work after the fall from an elevated height. Your employer meets with your team of healthcare providers to determine whether you can return to your old job or if you should consider transitioning to a less physically demanding position. Your employer must provide you with reasonable workplace accommodations regardless of the type of job you work in after returning to work.

With your financial future on the line, you must carefully vet attorneys before selecting the best one to represent you during the workers’ compensation claim process.

Legal Advocate for Workers

Many workers’ compensation attorneys represent both employers and employees. This can lead to a conflict of interest that makes a lawyer much less effective in providing superior legal support. At Morgan and Morgan, our workers’ compensation attorneys represent employees, not employers.

Proved Record of Success

Although representing clients since 1988 is an impressive professional credential for an attorney, the real measurement of success concerns the percentage of workers’ comp cases that are approved by insurance companies. Morgan and Morgan boasts one of the highest claim approval rates of any other law firm in the United States.

Legal Support During the Entire Process

The information shared with you during a free case evaluation gives you optimism that you should gain approval for a workers’ compensation claim. However, the optimism quickly dissipates as fast as your attorney disappears from the case. Many litigators delegate legal responsibilities to paralegals and/or less experienced lawyers, which diminishes the strength of a claim.

At Morgan and Morgan, the fall from height injuries lawyer assigned to your case provides legal support during every step of the claim process.

Responsive Communicator

One of the most frustrating feelings clients often get is having to wait far too long for a response from their attorneys. Morgan and Morgan offers a toll-free number 24 hours a day to connect you with someone who provides general legal support. If you have a concern or question concerning your workers’ comp claim, the lawyer assigned to your case from Morgan and Morgan will return emails, phone calls, and text messages by the end of the same business day.

If you send or leave a message after business hours, you should receive a response first thing the next morning.

At Morgan and Morgan, we know the uncertainty that develops after a workplace accident can take an emotional toll on an injured worker. This is why our workers’ comp attorneys move quickly to ensure our clients receive just compensation in a timely manner. Our workers’ compensation lawyers have received positive reviews on sites such as Yelp and Google, with many of our clients praising our compassion for injured workers at the most vulnerable stages of their lives.

Schedule a free case evaluation with a Morgan and Morgan workers’ compensation attorney to ensure you file the most persuasive claim.