Why Should You Hire A Work Injury Lawyer?
When you’ve been hurt at work, a lot of people believe they should just let their employer handle the medical treatment. I often hear “I thought they’d take care of me,” and “My boss said to send him the bill.” Many people believe that being a good employee means their employer or their insurance company will automatically take good care of them if they get injured on the job.
Sadly, this is often not the case. Though hiring a lawyer seems like a scary step, there are several reasons why having an attorney can benefit you, especially if you hire a work injury lawyer toward the beginning of your case.
First and foremost, no matter how wonderful your boss or company may be, when you get hurt on the job it is traditionally the insurance company that is calling the shots. The insurance company, unlike your boss, doesn’t know you. The insurance company doesn’t know or care if you worked overtime to cover for your co-worker who was sick, or if you were always dependable. The only thing the insurance company cares about is making sure your injury doesn’t cost them more than they want to pay.
Because it is the insurance company calling the shots, they will try to minimize what they pay you by insisting on a nurse case manager to attend appointments with you, and speak to the doctor “on your behalf.” Many times, these nurse case managers are only there to insist that your physician release you to return to work as soon as possible, regardless if your body is ready to return. I can not tell you the number of times I’ve heard a physician say “Well, personal injury claims need to see restrictions.” This may be true; but your doctor’s job is to work with you to best heal your body; and often, that means taking an employee out of work entirely. If you do not believe your doctor is working in your best interests, having a lawyer can help you change physicians to one who will listen to and care for YOU, not your insurance company.
If your insurance company doesn’t take care of your medical bills or treatment, then you may need to take them to court. Although you can not get a verdict in work injury cases the way you can in many other cases, you can still force an insurance company to do their job by taking your claim to court. If you need to take the insurance company to court, having a lawyer who knows how to handle a courtroom is so important. Don’t take a chance on your health and medical by trying to do everything alone… call a work injury lawyer to assist you.
