If you have been hurt or became ill on the job recently due to work-related conditions, it can certainly be tempting to try handling the entire workers’ compensation claim process on your own. However, while you do have the right to proceed with this sort of claim without legal representation, anyone who has tried to do that in the past could tell you that your odds of success with this strategy are, unfortunately, very slim.
The workers’ compensation claims process in Nevada is much more complicated than it may seem on the surface, and there are plenty of reasons why your claim might wind up being something you are not prepared to pursue effectively on your own. With that in mind, the answer to the question of whether you need a lawyer after a Las Vegas work injury is virtually always “yes,” especially when you take the following potential roadblocks into account.
Workers’ compensation benefits only cover injuries that are directly “work-related,” and many first-time claimants are surprised to learn that what qualifies as a “work-related” condition can be a very subjective matter. Hiring a lawyer quickly after suffering a work injury in Las Vegas can be key to collecting and making effective use of evidence that shows you meet all the criteria necessary to receive workers’ comp benefits.
Along similar lines, legal counsel can also help you establish that you actually sustained the specific injury you have built your workers’ comp claim around and that specific types of treatment for it are “reasonably necessary” enough to be covered by workers’ comp. Otherwise, you may find yourself personally on the hook for certain medical treatments, even if you only needed those treatments because you were hurt at work.
If your work-related injury only requires outpatient medical care and only makes you miss a day or two of work, your employer and their insurance provider might not have an issue with covering your short-term medical bills and a portion of your lost wages. However, if you suffer a significantly disabling injury, you will have many more medical expenses and a lot more missed income to recover. In this situation, the insurance company will fight especially hard to deny you benefits if you try to demand them without skilled legal representation on your side.
Last, but certainly not least, there is a specific process you will need to go through if you want to contest a denial of certain benefits or your claim being rejected altogether. Guidance from someone who knows the ins and outs of this process through extensive experience handling similar cases in the past can be vital to resolving a workers’ comp claim denial effectively and efficiently.
In terms of any requirements set by Nevada law, you technically do not need professional legal representation to file a workers’ comp claim. That said, you will absolutely want a lawyer after a Las Vegas work injury if you want to make the most of your right to seek fault-free restitution for your work-related losses.
Our attorneys at Shook & Stone can discuss your options with you in more detail during a free and confidential consultation. Call today to schedule yours.
