In blue-collar and white-collar industries, work-related injuries and illnesses are much more common than most people would like to think. Fortunately, if you work for a company with at least four total part-time or full-time employees, your employer is required by state law to provide you with workers’ compensation coverage. This coverage should allow you to recover financially from various losses you may experience after getting hurt or sick on the job.
Unfortunately, actually obtaining the workers’ comp benefits you deserve can be challenging, as any experienced workers’ comp attorney knows all too well. Whether you suffered a minor injury that will keep you out of work for a few days or have sustained life-altering trauma—assistance from a Summerlin workers’ compensation lawyer at Shook & Stone could be critical to ensuring your claim has the best possible outcome.
In Summerlin, Sovana, Rhodes Ranch, and all over Nevada, workers’ compensation covers all injuries and illnesses qualifying employees sustain while performing work-related tasks. Anyone who wants to receive workers’ comp benefits after getting hurt or sick on the job must first fill out Form C-1 on the Division of Industrial Relations website and submit it to their employer within seven days. Then, they must fill out Form C-4 with assistance from a treating physician to submit to their employer’s workers’ comp insurance provider within 90 days of getting hurt or sick.
After receiving a properly completed Form C-4, the insurance company has a maximum of 30 days to either accept the claim and begin providing workers’ comp benefits or reject part or all of the claim. In the latter scenario, the injured worker has the right to appeal with the Hearings Division of the Nevada Department of Administration, provided they do so within 70 days of receiving notice of their denial. A qualified Summerlin workers’ compensation attorney can provide crucial assistance throughout the filing process and, if necessary, through the appeals process as well.
As long as they seek treatment from physicians authorized under their employer’s workers’ comp policy, injured workers can seek reimbursement for all reasonable medical expenses necessary to help them reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)—in other words, either their pre-injury condition or as close to it as reasonably possible. This includes payments not only for inpatient and outpatient care but also for:
Additionally, workers who spend more than five days out of work are generally eligible to receive two-thirds of their average pre-injury wage as temporary disability benefits for the time they spend out of work. Permanent disability benefits are also available for individuals who permanently lose working ability because of a work-related injury or illness. Additionally, family members of workers who pass away due to a work-related condition could apply for death benefits with the help of a compassionate workers’ comp lawyer in Summerlin.
Workers’ comp benefits can be vital to keeping your life on track following a serious work-related accident or illness. However, they can also be deceptively difficult to obtain, even if you have strong grounds for a claim. This is especially true if you try to pursue that claim without support from a seasoned legal professional.
A Summerlin workers’ compensation lawyer at Shook & Stone could work diligently from start to finish of the claims process to get you every cent of the benefits you deserve. Call now for a free consultation with one of our loyal legal advocates.