Cape Girardeau Worker’s Compensation Attorney
Request Free ConsultationYou’ve worked hard for your employer and managed to support yourself and those who depend on you, but when you’ve been injured on the job, it can feel like everything you’ve worked for comes suddenly crashing down. Your bills continue to come in while you’re unable to return to work and medical bills are at the top of the pile. Just when you should focus on your own healing and recovery, financial stress can make it difficult to maximize your physical recovery.
If you’ve been injured on the job in Cape Girardeau, you should never be left to manage balancing medical bills on your own while you’re without pay. Our team of Cape Girardeau workers’ compensation attorneys from Miller & Hine is ready to put our compassion and diligent attention to work remedying your financial situation with the best possible solution for your unique case. Contact us today to set up a free consultation.
Do I Still Need an Attorney If I Can Get Workers’ Comp?
Though workers’ compensation insurance is meant to provide relief to injured employees, they are still private, profit-focused companies. It’s not uncommon for them to delay or deny claims. What was originally intended to as a streamlined process to provide fast financial relief for those injured on the job has evolved into a complex system that’s difficult to navigate in a way that brings an employee the best possible outcome in a timely manner. A Cape Girardeau worker’s compensation lawyer from Miller & Hine has decades of experience in the ever-evolving insurance law for workers’ compensation claims as well as third-party claims for work-related injuries.
Don’t settle for delayed and undervalued compensation or let powerful insurance companies take advantage of you when you’re at your most vulnerable. Working with a seasoned Cape Girardeau workers’ compensation attorney can make a big difference in your claim.
What Does Workers’ Compensation Insurance Cover in Missouri?
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that protects covered employers from lawsuits by injured workers. Most employers with five or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Benefits for injured employees include:
- Payment of medical expenses related to the injury
- Payment of ⅔ of your normal weekly income with a maximum of 55% of the average Missouri weekly wage
- Payment for disability, impairment, or death benefits to families
Payment for disability varies according to whether the disability is temporary or permanent as well as partial or total disability.
What is a Third-Party Claim for Liability in a Workplace Injury?
In some cases, your workers’ compensation attorney in Cape Girardeau might examine the unique circumstances of your injury to determine if you’d benefit more by making a third-party liability claim rather than a standard workers’ compensation claim. Third-party liability exists in workplace injury cases in which someone other than your employer is responsible for your injury. For example, injury victims commonly make third-party claims for compensation against the following parties:
- Workplace contractors or subcontractors
- Property owners
- Other drivers if the injury occurred in an on-the-job car accident
- Vendors at job sites
- Architects and engineers
- Product manufacturers
Because workers’ compensation insurance only covers injured employees for up to 2/3rds of their income and allowable medical expenses, a third-party claim against a liable party other than an employer can sometimes benefit an injury victim. If a third-party claim is applicable in your case you could recover compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses and future medical expenses related to the injury
- Lost wages and future lost wages
- Lowered future earning capacity if you’ve become disabled due to the injury
- Pain and suffering
- Additional non-economic damages in some cases, including compensation for disfigurement, loss of limb, diminished quality of life, and PTSD/anxiety/depression
Your Cape Girardeau worker’s compensation attorney will review the unique circumstances of your workplace injury to determine if you could benefit from a third-party liability claim. Worker’s compensation does not allow injury victims to claim non-economic damages like pain and suffering, while it’s allowable under a third-party liability claim.
Common Workplace Injuries
Employees can suffer an injury at almost any type of job, even if they work in an office, but the most common workplace injuries occur in the transportation, construction, warehousing, forestry, and fishing industries. Common workplace injuries include:
- Back and neck injuries
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
- Fractures
- Lacerations and bruises
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Burns and electrocutions
- Toxic chemical exposure
- Soft-tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, torn ligaments, and herniated discs
Even relatively minor injuries can prevent workers in many industries from being able to return to their jobs while they’re recovering. Medical treatments quickly become costly. More serious injuries can cause temporary or permanent disability that may prevent returning to work in your usual capacity or at all.
You shouldn’t have to face the fear and helplessness associated with serious workplace injuries alone when you can have experienced legal counsel standing behind you and fighting for your rights and best interests through the process of a claim for damages. At Miller & Hine, a Cape Girardeau workers’ compensation attorney will aggressively defend your right to compensation through your employer’s workers’ compensation benefits or a third-party liability claim.
What to Do After a Workplace Injury?
If you’re hurt on the job, taking specific steps can help streamline your claim process. If your injuries are very serious, you may be able to do little other than wait for help, but if you’re able to use your phone, you can take the following steps or ask someone else to take them for you:
- Snap photos of any visible injuries and anything that caused or contributed to the injury, such as defective equipment or a broken ladder.
- Inform your employer immediately and ask them to fill out an accident report
- Go to a hospital and have a thorough medical exam, being sure to report every symptom
- Ask for a detailed medical report and follow all of your doctor’s orders
- Save all medical bills and related receipts or invoices
Call the Cape Girardeau law office of Miller & Hine for a free consultation about your workplace injury so we can begin a strategy for your compensation.
Why Choose Miller & Hine as Your Cape Girardeau Workplace Accident Attorneys?
The seasoned Missouri workers’ compensation attorneys at Miller & Hine are ready to put our combined 5 decades of experience behind you through every step of the claims process to ensure you gain the maximum in compensation for your medical expense and lost wages. With a knowledgeable, diligent attorney representing your best interests with every move forward, you’ll enjoy a smoother process toward maximizing your financial recovery while you focus on your physical recovery.
Contact our Cape Girardeau law office today so we can begin strategizing the best way forward on your claims process.