Have you been injured at work and need medical care? Maybe you’ve been diagnosed with an occupational illness, a disease you wouldn’t have developed except for your job conditions. Connecticut’s workers’ compensation laws offer protection for injured employees, providing them with medical care and money to cover missed wages.
But sometimes, getting compensation for a workplace injury isn’t as straightforward as it should be. If you’re having problems with your claim or need help filing an appeal after a denial, you need a skilled Glastonbury workers’ comp lawyer like the ones at Jainchill & Beckert. With decades of combined experience, our lawyers have the know-how to demand the benefits you need. We treat every case with the concern, attention to detail, and respect our clients deserve – and we have the results to prove it.
Let us take the burden of pursuing your benefits off your shoulders. Call Jainchill & Beckert for a free consultation today.
What Is Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Workers’ compensation aims to ensure injured workers get the medical care and wage replacement benefits they need to return to work as soon as possible after an on-the-job injury. Workers’ compensation insurance is the means through which the system works. The employer purchases workers’ comp insurance, which then provides benefits to their injured workers.
Are All Employers in Glastonbury Required to Carry Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
Any employer with at least one employee must carry workers’ compensation insurance, according to the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act.
However, some employees are not included for workers compensation in Glastonbury, including:
- Independent contractors
- Corporate officers who choose not to be covered by workers’ comp
- Casual employees
- Employees who work exclusively in a private home for less than 26 hours each week
What Are the Different Components of Workers’ Compensation?
You may be entitled to a few distinct benefits under Connecticut workers’ comp insurance, such as:
- Medical coverage, which includes doctor visits, hospital stays, medication, medical devices, and aftercare like physical therapy
- Wage benefits, paying you your workers compensation rate based on your average weekly wage and tax withholdings while you’re out of work recovering. Note that these benefits do not start until you have missed at least 3 days of work.
- Disability benefits, which compensate you for a specific body part’s impairment
- Disfigurement and scarring, to your face or neck, or when the scar can contribute to a physical impairment
- Vocational rehabilitation, if your injuries leave you with permanently changed abilities and you require retraining to work
- Death benefits, paid to surviving family members of a worker whose workplace injury or illness is fatal
What Should I Do If I Have Been Hurt On the Job?
To be eligible for and maintain your workers’ comp benefits, you must comply with the requirements set by the state:
- Report your injury – The first thing you should do after being injured at work is report the injury IMMEDIATELY to your supervisor or HR – unless you need emergency care. Take care of your injury first by going to the ER or your employer-designated urgent care clinic.
- File a claim – You need to file your claim within one year of the date. But it’s best to report the injury to your manager as soon as possible. Your employer will report the injury to the workers’ comp carrier.
- Get medical treatment – Your employer can direct you to a doctor or clinic approved by their workers’ comp insurance carrier. The doctor you see initially becomes your treating physician unless you choose to see a different one after the first appointment.
- Follow the doctor’s advice – Obey your treating physician’s directions to the letter, whether that means wearing a brace or sling or performing only restricted duty work. You may also be given a physical or occupational therapy regimen, which you must comply with to keep getting benefits.
- Keep your employer updated – Stay in communication with your employer while recovering if you plan to return to work. Once your injuries have healed as much as possible, your treating physician will release you to return to work completely or may permit you to return to work part-time or on light duty. You are responsible for communicating your status with your employer and arranging your return-to-work date and duties.
What If I Was Hurt by Another Person While On the Job?
Some workplace accidents happen because of the actions of a third party – someone who isn’t your employer or a co-worker. For example, let’s say you’re hit by a negligent driver while driving for a work-related task. In that case, you’d still have a workers’ comp claim with your employer since you were injured on the job. You also have grounds to seek compensation from the driver that hit you. This compensation isn’t limited to the narrow scope of workers’ comp benefits. It also includes compensation for the pain and suffering you experience from your injuries, future lost wages, and more.
While you can file your workers’ comp claim with your employer without a lawyer, hiring one is better to ensure you pursue all the benefits owed to you. If you file a third-party claim, you’ll want a lawyer to handle that for you. Your workers’ comp carrier will have a claim against any settlement or award you get for your third-party claim so they can be reimbursed for the money they paid you. Your attorney can handle all the details.
Can the Workers’ Comp Insurance Company Deny My Claim?
Not every workplace injury or illness qualifies for workers’ comp.
The workers’ compensation insurance carrier can deny your claim for several reasons, such as:
- You intentionally injured yourself.
- You were under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the accident happened.
- You were acting recklessly and hurt yourself.
- You disregarded employer safety policies or didn’t wear the required safety equipment.
- You didn’t report your claim before the one-year deadline expired.
- The injury wasn’t job-related.
How Do I Appeal a Workers’ Comp Denial?
You can appeal a claim denial with the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission. Having the benefit of legal advice from someone well-versed in workers’ comp laws can help you collect the right evidence, provide testimony, and form legal arguments as to why your claim should be approved.
Contact a Glastonbury Workers’ Comp Lawyer
Are you having trouble getting your full workers’ comp benefits? Was your workers’ comp claim denied? Don’t try to handle it alone. Call Jainchill & Beckert or visit us online for a free consultation with a skilled Glastonbury workers’ comp lawyer. Our Glastonbury personal injury lawyers are here to help.
