Whether you work in a construction site or an office, you don’t expect your workday to involve a trip to the OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital’s emergency room. Unfortunately, workplace accidents happen often throughout the country. Although construction sites are the most dangerous workplaces, injuries can occur anywhere.
If you’ve been injured at work and are planning on filing for workers’ compensation, you need an Ohio work injury lawyer to help you through the process. We have decades of experience with workers’ compensation claims at Oliver Law Office.
All Ohio employers must purchase workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. If they do not, they are immediately liable for any injuries those employees suffer.
Ohio has a no-fault system for workers’ compensation. This means that no matter how the worker was injured at work, they can receive workers’ compensation benefits for lost wages and medical expenses. You don’t need to prove that your employer was negligent. What it does mean, however, is that you can’t sue your employer later on.
When you suffer an injury, you must let your employer know. Immediately after, you should contact a workers’ compensation attorney to help file your claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation using the First Report of Injury form. Keep in mind that you only have one year to file this claim.
Once you file the claim, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will have 28 days to decide whether to approve or deny the claim. If your claim is denied, you only have 14 days to appeal.
Workers’ compensation relies on insurance companies. These companies are always looking for ways to avoid paying you, so they’ll look for anything to help them deny your claim. If you have a work injury lawyer helping you, you have a better chance of filing everything correctly and providing evidence of your injuries.
You need to hire an Ohio work injury attorney if your claim is denied. You can’t take the risk of losing the appeal, especially if you’ve suffered severe injuries that could prevent you from returning to work.
At Oliver Law Office, we will negotiate aggressively with insurance companies to demonstrate that you deserve compensation for your injuries. We know what evidence can be most effective in these claims.
Hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer is also necessary if your employer takes too long to report the injuries or if there’s any dispute. We can ensure that your rights are respected.
One of the most important things to remember is that we work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t have to pay us anything unless we win. The last thing we want to do is to burden you with more bills. To further assist you, we even offer free consultations for injuries so that you can get a clear assessment of your case.
Any workplace can have its risks. Whether you spend your days at a construction site or sitting behind a desk in the Bridge Street District, you could experience injuries that affect your everyday life and keep you from working.
Some of the most common types of workplace injuries are muscle strains. Lifting heavy objects without the proper equipment can lead to back muscle and neck strains, but these injuries can happen even if you sit at your computer for hours.
Falls can occur anywhere. They can result in severe injuries, including broken bones and traumatic brain injuries. In 2022, 38% of work-related fatalities in the construction industry resulted from slip and fall accidents.
If you perform the same movements for hours every day, you could develop repetitive use injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, stress fractures, and tennis elbow. These can make work painful and could result in lasting damage.
If you work at a site where there are power lines or utilities, you could be in danger of electrocution injuries. These can cause burns, internal damage, and even fatalities.
People who work with vehicles, including delivery trucks, forklifts, or even passenger cars, can suffer significant injuries due to collisions. From bone fractures to spinal cord injuries, crashes can lead to catastrophic injuries that impact the rest of your life.
Struck-by injuries are prevalent in construction sites. They are involved in getting hit by other objects, like heavy machinery and other tools. Struck-by injuries often result in serious consequences, including traumatic brain injuries and fatalities.
When you file for workers’ compensation, you can receive coverage for a number of losses you may have sustained. For example, you have coverage for medical expenses like hospital visits, rehabilitation therapy, medication costs, and any expenses related to changing your home or vehicle if you have new disabilities.
Workers’ compensation also helps you recover lost wages. You will likely not receive total wages but a percentage of them. You don’t have to worry about paying taxes on the lost wages you are awarded. If a loved one dies in a workplace accident, the family can also file a claim to cover funeral expenses.
Ohio allows for a few different benefit options that include the above coverages. One is temporary total compensation, available to employees who cannot work for a specific period. This means that they will heal and be able to return to work.
You can also claim a percentage of permanent partial disability if you have suffered some degree of permanent disability because of your injuries. An example is if you injured an arm, it heals but no longer has full range of motion.
Permanent total disability covers employees who suffer severe injuries or illnesses that are severe enough to prevent them from returning to work. It’s generally payable for life and compensates the employee for their loss of earning capacity.
Our Ohio worker’s compensation lawyers can help if you’re unsure of your options. We will assess your claim and gather evidence to prove you deserve these benefits.
Suffering injuries at work can leave you feeling helpless and unsure of what protections you have. To ensure you can get the compensation you need to cover medical expenses and lost wages, contact a workplace injury lawyer for help.
We have decades of experience helping people with work-related injuries at Oliver Law Office. We’re a women-led law firm offering tenacious representation and the compassion you need as you deal with the losses you’ve sustained. You can focus on healing with our team while we handle the legalities.
If you’ve sustained an injury at work in Ohio, you can file a workers’ compensation claim for help. Contact us at Oliver Law Office to schedule a free injury consultation with one of our Dublin workplace injury attorneys.
