TOP REASONS TO HIRE A WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ATTORNEY

When it comes to hiring a workers’ compensation attorney after a work accident with injuries, the attorneys at Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A. believe that timing can be everything, and obtaining help at the beginning of your case is best for many reasons.

Top reasons to hire a workers’ compensation attorney at the onset of your work-related accident include:

If after your accident an insurance adjuster or investigator from the Carrier (the insurance company for your employer) has reached out to you and asked you to give a recorded statement about your accident. This is a very important decision and statements made in it can be used later to deny you medical and money benefits. Usually, this is an adjuster who will call you and place you on the spot asking to record your conversation about your accident. If you have already given a recorded statement and are meeting with a workers’ compensation attorney, please tell your attorney, so that your attorney may obtain it and review it.

If your injury is complex, and you have been hospitalized and feel that you may need help understanding the process to obtain medical benefits, receiving regular indemnity benefits, and to making sure your hospital bills get paid by the correct, responsible party.

If your employer is not reporting your claim to its insurance carrier to get you an immediate medical evaluation. There are ways to turn in a claim for your employer and to confirm if they have workers’ compensation coverage. We help expedite getting your benefits requested and initiated. Please bring a copy of your paycheck from your employer for us to assist you with this process. Also, look for the “Broken Arm” poster at your employer’s location and write down any insurance company information on it (or take a photo of the insurance company information on the poster – usually at the bottom right corner).

If anything, recommended by your workers’ compensation physician is not being authorized by the Carrier, and its adjuster, in a timely manner. Keeping the paperwork after each visit with your doctor is very important for your attorney to help you obtain your medical benefits. Usually, you are given a two-page form called a DWC-25 and this is the document after each visit your attorney will want to see.

If you have an open workers’ compensation claim, and no legal representation, and the insurance carrier’s adjuster approaches you about a settlement offer. In our experience, insurance companies negotiate very differently with pro se (unrepresented) injured workers than with represented injured workers when it comes to settlement offers. Here at Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A. an attorney assisting you will have at least 19 years of negotiating experience to help you evaluate what your case is worth.

If you have a nurse case manager assigned to your case and the nurse asks to attend your medical exams with you and the physician and you do not want this intrusion into your personal medical exam and the interruption with your discussion with your doctor. Also, if the nurse asks you to sign documents, this is something you should discuss with your attorney.

If you want guidance as to what are the correct forms to sign and return to the carrier and experienced legal resources available to you for your questions as you have them about your workers’ compensation case.

At Harris Guidi Rosner, P.A., we will assist you all along the way in the workers’ compensation process to obtain the medical and money benefits to which you are entitled under Florida law following your accident. If the insurance Carrier is not timely providing your medical benefits, money benefits, or mileage, our office will file documents to obtain authorization/payment of the recommended benefits. And once you have recovered from your work accident, we can assist you with negotiating a settlement and can discuss with you all the details and considerations of a workers’ compensation settlement. Our attorneys are paid on a contingency fee basis; therefore, no retainer is required upfront for representation. Attorney’s fees and costs are paid at the end of the case, only at the time of settlement.

You can contact us for a free consultation at (904) 777-7777 to discuss your work-related accident. If email is more convenient for you, please email us at mills@harrisguidi.com to discuss your case and schedule a time for a confidential consultation.