As anyone who has ever taken an awkward fall or had something heavy fall onto their leg could tell you, injuries to or around the knee can be uniquely debilitating. Even relatively minor damage to this part of the body can be expensive to treat and take a long time to fully heal. More substantial trauma can have life-altering repercussions, which may include a permanent loss of working and earning capacity.
Workers’ compensation can help minimize the negative impacts of this type of work-related injury, and a knowledgeable workers’ comp lawyer’s support can be key to getting the best possible result from your claim. If you are dealing with knee damage you sustained while at work and performing job-related tasks, you should make contacting a Summerlin workplace knee injury lawyer from Shook & Stone a top priority.
Filing Claims Over Different Types of Knee Damage
Workers’ compensation insurance covers all injuries that occur while the covered worker is on shift at a worksite and performing some sort of task related to their employment—including injuries that build up over time because of repetitive motion or stress. As a result, chronic knee injuries like tendonitis and bursitis can justify workers’ comp claims just as much as acute injuries like:
- Ligament sprains
- Meniscus tears
- Fractures of the kneecap
Regardless of what form a workplace knee injury in Summerlin takes, it is vital that you report the injury to your immediate supervisor in writing as soon as possible after discovering it. You must also complete and return the C-4 form your employer provides within 90 days of initially discovering your injury. This process requires you to get initial medical treatment from an employer-approved physician and get that physician’s signature on your claim form.
Temporary Versus Permanent Disability Benefits
In addition to the costs of all reasonably necessary medical care needed to help you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), workers’ compensation should also provide you with temporary disability benefits if a work-related knee injury forces you to miss five days of work or more during the 20 days immediately following the injury. These benefits are generally valued at two-thirds of your average pre-injury weekly wage. However, if you are only partially disabled and still able to perform at least some work, you may receive an adjusted amount of benefits.
If you have still not reached your pre-injury condition after receiving temporary disability benefits for the legal maximum period of 104 weeks, a workplace knee injury lawyer in Summerlin may be able to help you seek permanent disability benefits. The formula for calculating the value of these benefits is fairly complex, but it typically revolves around the disability rating assessed to you by your treating physicians, as well as whether you could be retrained to perform some type of work other than what you did before getting hurt.
Consider Working with a Summerlin Workplace Knee Injury Attorney
Even if you work solely behind a desk, suffering a serious work-related knee injury can affect your ability to commute to and from your job, as well as the kind of life you can live outside of the workplace. If you primarily perform manual labor, severe knee injuries can prevent you from doing any work whatsoever for months at a time, or potentially even for the rest of your now-shortened career.
In both scenarios, seeking benefits through workers’ comp may be essential to protecting your long-term best interests, which means it will also be crucial for you to have a Summerlin workplace knee injury lawyer on your side.
Call Shook & Stone today to discuss your recovery options. We serve injured workers in Summerlin, Rhodes Ranch, Sovana, and Sun City.
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