Hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Live Oak, FL may be helpful for people dealing with serious injuries. If they are not able to return to work full time for a long time (if ever), having professional legal representation is advisable. This is especially true if the injury resulted in a permanent disability or an amputation. Extensive, ongoing treatment likely to continue far into the future is another reason.
Claim Denial
A workers’ compensation lawyer in Live Oak, FL can also help when the insurance company that pays these benefits denies a valid claim. This happens more often than people might think. An attorney always makes sure the claim is managed properly and that any questions the insurer has are answered. This may require obtaining additional medical documentation to verify the severity of the injury.
Employer Skepticism
Sometimes the employer is skeptical and doesn’t support the employee’s request for time off and workers’ comp benefits. That may leave this person having to navigate the workers’ comp system alone, including needing to fill out complex forms and supplying documentation from medical practitioners.
A lawyer such as Duane E. Thomas may be necessary to convince the employer and the insurance company that the injury did indeed happen as the employee has stated and that they are not exaggerating the gravity of the injury.
Appealing the Denial at a Hearing
If a workers’ compensation claim is denied, the employee has the right to appeal the denial at a hearing before a judge. To begin the appeals process, this individual must petition the state’s workers’ compensation board for reconsideration. The state’s Division of Administrative Hearings then assigns a judge to the case. The judge, in turn, schedules a hearing. The hearing might not be scheduled for several weeks, depending on how busy the calendar is.
The hearing is a particularly important time to have an Attorney at Law present for representation. Both sides of the issue can provide testimony and evidence to support their case. Fact-based evidence must be presented by the lawyer appealing the case; the attorney is not there only to try stronger powers of persuasion.
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