Why Do You Need a Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
Hardworking people affected by life-changing injuries and illnesses, which can lead to partial, total, temporary, or permanent disabilities, can receive workers’ compensation benefits. However, they should not handle their cases alone. Instead, they should have workers’ compensation attorneys assist them.
But why?
The truth is, filing a claim for benefits can be a challenge – especially if you are unfamiliar with the laws, or if you have pre-existing conditions, which some insurance companies might try to use against you. One mis-dotted “i” can cause your application for benefits to get kicked back. There are a lot of benefits to using a skilled lawyer to help you make your claim.
You’re receiving care for a long time
In order to get workers’ compensation, properly report and document your injuries, maybe via journaling, and include the injury date, the accident location, and the impacted body part(s) in your report. You have to file your claim within two years, if you haven’t been paid any form of benefits or salary by your employer while you were out of work. The same is true even if you continue working while you are sick or injured. This filing process starts with a Petition to Controvert (PTC).
Keeping track of everything that happens for two years is difficult enough, but being unsure about what’s important and what’s not can be even harder. If you’re dealing with a serious injury, it can be a bit overwhelming. When you work with a lawyer, you just send everything to him or her, and the attorney figures it all out for you.
Your initial claim was denied
If your initial claim for benefits was denied, you’ll need to go before an administrative judge for a hearing. You don’t want to attend this hearing alone, especially because the other side – the insurance company – is going to show up with their own lawyers to make their case before the judge. If the hearing doesn’t go well, you can appeal the decision – but the farther away you get from the initial decision, the more likely it is to be denied again.
When you work with a Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer, you can trust that you’ll be prepared for your hearing, and well-represented throughout the appeals process, too.
Other times when you need a workers’ compensation attorney
You also should have a workers’ compensation attorney assist you when:
- Your boss does not acknowledge your injuries occurred at work or give you timely payments.
- You do not receive a settlement offer that accounts for all lost wages or medical expenses.
- Your injuries prevent your return to your previous job, restrict your work capabilities, or prohibit you from working altogether.
- Your injuries resulted from a third party’s actions or your boss’s discriminatory and improper conduct.
If you were hurt in the course of your work duties, you can make a claim for workers’ compensation. Having a lawyer on your side can only benefit you. From our offices in Jackson, Clarksdale, and Oxford, Merkel & Cocke serves injured clients throughout Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. Please call 662-627-9641 or complete our contact form to schedule your free initial consultation.
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Since 1982, Merkel & Cocke, P.A. has offered thorough, aggressive legal representation on behalf of clients throughout Mississippi. As one of the largest plaintiffs’ personal injury law firms in the state, we consider it our duty and our honor to serve the people of our communities, and to uphold their rights in court. Our reputation is such that other law firms turn to us when they need legal counsel, and our business has grown through the years because of the referrals of these attorneys, who trust us with their needs and the needs of their clients. We are the firm you can trust when there are challenges ahead. To schedule a free consultation, please complete our contact form.