Workers compensation, usually simply referred to as workers comp is a set of laws that are all meant to provide protection to those workers who are injured. The objective of workers comp is to ensure that anyone who is injured at work gets all the necessary medical care, collect lost wages that are related to the injury and, depending on the extent of the injury, retraining and rehabilitation to allow the injured individual to be in a position to reenter the workforce. Should the worker be killed on the job the family members are eligible for benefits as well.
Often, an injured worker can benefit by engaging Chicago workers compensation lawyers to advise them how to protect their rights to benefits and defend them against an unwarranted early termination of benefits.
Not every worker is covered by workers comp, depending on the jurisdiction under which the injury happened, a claimant who was intoxicated or engaging in willful misconduct may lose their rights to benefits. Furthermore there are certain classes of workers who are covered by unique federal laws designed to provide additional protection. Seamen are covered by the Jones Act, railroad workers are covered by The Federal Employment Liability Act, maritime employees by The Longshore & Harbor Workers Act and the Black Lung Benefits Act.
Litigation:
Statistically, the majority of injured workers quickly recovers, and other than make an initial injury report which allows the injured individual to qualify for benefits they have very little insight into the workers comp system. Employees who suffer serious injury may experience problems with their employer or the system; it is this class of workers that can benefit by consulting with Chicago workers compensation lawyers. Workers comp litigation is somewhat more relaxed than traditional civil action and takes place in an administrative setting rather than a courtroom.
An injured worker that is refused benefits which he or she is entitled to will normally hire a lawyer. This is also true if the employee is told to return to work before they are able to or are denied permanent disability despite the fact that they incurred a disabling injury. Should the employer insist that the injured employee see a doctor who declares that the employee is fit for work even though this is not true or creates a special job especially to accommodate the injury then it is best to hire a lawyer.
If you suffered an injury on the job and either your employer or the insurance company is making it difficult for you to collect your rightful benefits you should hire Chicago workers compensation lawyers. Go to the site Shea Law Group for more information.
