Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Know About Workers’ Compensation?
What you should know about Workers’ Compensation, in a nutshell, is this: there are three basic Workers’ Compensation benefits to which you’re entitled. You’re entitled to medical benefits, and that’s coverage on the medical. If you can’t work, you’re entitled to what we call “temporary disability”. They’ll pay you 66 and 2/3 percent of your average weekly wage for as long as you’re out of work. And, number three, if you have a permanent injury then you’re entitled to money for permanent disability.
What If My Doctor Says I Don’t Need A Lawyer?
In most cases, the doctor who’s treating you is being paid by the insurance company for your employer. Those doctors, for the most part, want to get you out of the system and back to work, and many of them don’t take into account when you’re still hurting. So, it’s really important that you get your legal advice from a lawyer not from your doctor.
Why Do I Need A Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?
Workers’ Compensation laws are specifically designed to limit the benefits you can get. Because they limit the benefits you can get, you want to make sure that you have a lawyer help you get the maximum benefits you’re entitled to.
Are There Time Limits When Filing Workers’ Compensation?
There are time limits in workers’ compensation cases. For example, you have two years to file a claim with the Division of Workers’ Compensation. Some deadlines can be as short as 30 days. If you don’t meet these deadlines, you might not get any money for your injury or medical care. You know that’s why it’s important to give me a call so I can help you – and you need to do it now. What we don’t want is for these deadlines to run out, and you’re left holding the bag.
Am I Suing My Employer?
You need to be aware you’re not suing your employer. You’re not going to put him in front of a jury. You’re not taking money out of your employer’s pockets. What you’re really looking at is making sure you receive proper benefits for being injured on the job and those benefits are paid by your employer’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance carrier.
Can I Get Fired For Filing A Workers’ Comp Claim?
No, you cannot be fired for filing a Workers’ Compensation claim. The law makes that very, very clear. In most of the cases, your boss won’t have any problem with you making sure that you do what’s necessary to take care of yourself.
How Do I Know What My Case Is Worth?
There are a variety of things we look at when evaluating your case and determining its value. We look at how the accident occurred. We look at what sort of injuries you sustained. Do you have a permanent injury that will last the rest of your life? Are you going to have future medical bills? We look at lost wages. Did you lose your job? If you have permanent work restrictions as a result of the accident, you may not be able to find a job very easily in the future. These are some of the factors that we look at in evaluating a claim. Every case is unique and different. That’s why at our law firm, every case gets personal attention from the lawyer when it comes time to evaluate.
Why is it Important to Hire a Lawyer?
Insurance companies are in business for a reason: to make money. Anytime they are paying money on a claim, it means less money to their bottom line. They have literally hundreds of adjusters and hundreds of lawyers who are on their side trying to figure out how to prevent money from leaving their checkbooks. Quite frankly, you do need a lawyer to help you through this because your lawyer will make sure you’re properly compensated.
Do Cases Settle Without Going to Court?
Cases settle before going to trial 80 to 90 percent of the time. However, that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work involved in getting a case settled outside of court. Sometimes you have to file a lawsuit and do a lot of what I call “legal maneuvering” to get a case settled. That means we take depositions from witnesses to the accident, from police officers, and from your doctors. But, yes, most cases will settle prior to trial.
Do You Get Good Results for Your Clients?
We do get good results for our clients. We have settled hundreds, if not thousands, of cases where we’ve had large settlements. We’ve had substantial verdicts. We go to the mat for our clients if necessary. We’ll appeal cases. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our client is taken care of.
Are There Limits To My Auto Accident Claim?
There are limits to everything, but when you’re dealing with an automobile accident, it’s important that the attorney you deal with investigates all avenues from where they can obtain money. There may be several insurance policies we can look at to get you compensation. But it’s important that you get an attorney now to investigate that particular issue.
What Do I Have To Do?
You need to make sure you go to your doctor’s appointments and you follow through with what your doctors are telling you. Take your medication. Get your physical therapy. All you have to do is make sure you get better. Let us handle the paperwork. Let us handle the insurance hassles. Your job is to get your life back.
How Long Does Settling a Case Take?
Once you’ve been released from care with the doctor, you’re generally looking at maybe two or three months to settle the case. We put together your case, and we provide documentation to the insurance companies so they know we’re willing to go to trial. Most of the time, the insurance company will pay fair value for your case within three months after you’re done with treatment.
What Happens After I Call?
You should expect for us to obtain the accident report, get witness statements, and collect medical records and medical bills. If it’s necessary for you to be seen by a specialist, we’ll make arrangements for that as well. Our goal is to take care of all the legal work, to take care of all the hassles of getting the medical bills pulled together and to present a settlement demand to the insurance company. What we want you to do is take care of yourself. Follow through with what your doctors say because we want you to get your life back.
What if I Can’t Afford My Medical Bills?
If you can’t afford to get the medical treatment you need, there are doctors out there who will work on what is called a “lien basis.” That means they will provide treatment for you with the understanding that they will get paid out of the settlement. And there are a variety of doctors in the Front Range area who will do that. We work with those doctors, and they work with us because they know that we are a good law firm and they know they will be paid. We will make sure you get appropriate care, whether that’s with a chiropractor, massage therapist, medical doctor, hospital surgery center, etc.