Elizabeth, New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Every year, thousands of workers are injured on the job in New Jersey. Sadly, these debilitating injuries can have a detrimental impact on the health and well-being of workers. Not only are they often forced to deal with the devastating mental and physical pain and suffering, but victims often incur overwhelming financial consequences as well. Many victims are forced out of work for several weeks or even months as they recover from their injuries. Not having adequate financial resources available can have a devastating impact on the lives of the victims and their families.
As with any accident, work accidents can occur at any time or any place. No matter what line of work a person is employed, there is always a risk of suffering debilitating injuries that have overwhelmingly negative consequences on their entire families. In many cases, families are left to bear overwhelming financial and emotional burdens from these horrific incidents. Thankfully, injured workers in New Jersey have strong workers’ compensation laws in place to protect them.
Our state provides compensation and various other benefits to workers injured on the job so they can get the treatment they need and focus on recovering without worrying about endless financial consequences. When workers suffer injuries on the job, it is imperative that they reach out to a workers’ compensation attorney in Elizabeth, New Jersey at their earliest convenience. Victims may have a variety of legal options available to them.
Workers’ compensation laws are not only extremely beneficial for workers, but they add a layer of legal protection for employers against any financial consequences of a work-related incident. Although these laws seem pretty straightforward, countless workers’ compensation insurance companies wrongfully deny victims the benefits they rightfully deserve. In some cases, injured workers are required to file a legal claim to obtain these benefits. For this reason, it is crucial that injured workers reach out to a workers’ compensation attorney in Elizabeth, New Jersey at their earliest convenience. Our team at Metro Law has over four decades of experience helping injured workers collect the benefits they need and deserve. Trying to navigate the legal system alone is complicated and overwhelming. Contact our law firm today to get help with your claim.
What is Workers’ Compensation?
When a worker incurs an injury on the job, they may have benefits available to them under workers’ compensation laws. These laws enable injured workers to obtain compensation and many other benefits to help them throughout their recoveries. In order for injured workers to collect these benefits, they must first qualify to receive them. To do so, workers have to prove that they directly incurred injuries performing their regular job duties during their normal course of employment.
New Jersey has countless laws in place that govern how injured workers receive benefits through workers’ compensation. These laws are designed to specify the processes and guidelines injured workers must follow in order to obtain benefits. These over-complex laws and guidelines make the process of filing for benefits extremely complicated, especially for workers who may not understand how the laws work or the process necessary to apply for the benefits. Unfortunately, insurance companies tend to take advantage of the fact that most claimants are unfamiliar with the process. For this reason, they initially wrongfully deny workers the benefits they rightfully deserve.
Rather than being denied by self-serving insurance companies, it is crucial that injured workers contact an aggressive workers’ compensation attorney in Elizabeth, New Jersey to help protect their legal rights. Our team at Metro Law will guide you throughout the entire legal process and ensure you are fully and fairly compensated as well as obtaining the benefits you deserve.
Does Sustaining Injuries at Work Guarantee Benefits under Workers’ Compensation Laws?
Injured workers in New Jersey do not automatically qualify for benefits and compensation under the state’s workers’ comp laws. Unfortunately, there are numerous cases where injured workers try to collect benefits when they are not actually qualified to do so under workers’ compensation laws. In order for an injured worker to be eligible for these benefits, it is crucial that they are able to provide adequate proof in support of their claim. Workers must clearly demonstrate that their disease, illness, or injuries were a direct result of an injury sustained at work.
Employees need to demonstrate that they suffered these debilitating conditions as a direct result, or directly related to, injuries sustained during the course of their normal duties of employment. Working with a competent and knowledgeable Elizabeth workers’ compensation attorney from Metro Law will ensure you obtain the proof you need to collect the benefits you rightfully deserve.
What do Injured Workers Have to Prove in Their Workers’ Compensation Benefits Claim?
Injured workers are required to prove that they suffered injuries, illnesses, or other health complications during the course of their employment. In order to prove that this was the case, workers will need to prove that various factors had existed at the time of their accident and the days following. These factors are used to determine if a New Jersey injured worker qualifies for benefits. Furthermore, this helps to determine the extent of benefits for which they are eligible. Some of the elements that injured workers are required to prove in their claim for workers compensation benefits include:
- The employer has an existing workers’ compensation insurance policy in place to protect injured workers
- The injured worker sustained an illness or injury while carrying out the duties of their job on behalf of the employer
- The injured worker did provide a written notice to their employer about the injuries or illnesses within 30-days of the date the incident occurred
- The employee received medical treatment. During their treatment, they obtained a report documenting what injuries were incurred as a result of the incident when the injury occurred, and the nature of the incident that lead to the injuries or illness
Injured employees who successfully prove these factors existed and followed the guidelines when requesting benefits stand the best chance of obtaining benefits and compensation under workers comp laws in New Jersey. Unfortunately, we see numerous injured workers who are denied the benefits they rightfully deserve, regardless of how well they are able to document these elements existed. For this reason, it is crucial for injured workers to contact a workers’ compensation attorney in New Jersey to assist with their claims.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits are Available for Employees in Elizabeth, New Jersey?
Employees who incur injuries on the job are often left with severe injuries that have an overwhelming impact on their mental, physical, and financial well-being. Many victims have difficulties performing the tasks they previously performed in order to maintain the same job they had prior to the injury. In some cases, victims have problems enjoying activities or engaging with others. For this reason, our Elizabeth workers’ comp attorneys at Metro Law work diligently to ensure victims get the benefits and compensation they deserve after suffering an injury on the job. Injured workers who qualify are able to collect multiple benefits under workers’ compensation laws in New Jersey. These benefits include:
- Medical Care: The medical benefits provided under workers’ compensation laws are intended to alleviate the costs of medical treatment need to recover. These benefits cover the costs of medications, surgeries, doctor visits, and any treatment necessary to treat the employee’s injuries or illnesses. In some cases, workers need mental and/or physical therapy and specialized equipment for their injuries. Workers’ compensation will cover these expenses as well to ensure employees are able to recover.
- Temporary Disability Benefits: There are various monetary benefits available for disability coverage under workers’ compensation laws. Individuals may be able to receive up to 400 weeks of tax-free temporary disability benefits equal to 70% of their wages for any medical conditions that are sustained in work or worsened through working.
- Permanent Disability Benefits: These benefits are available for workers who show evidence in support of a measurable loss of physical function. A Workers’ Compensation judge reviews the evidence presented, any expert statements, and medical records to determine if the employee is permanently disabled and awards them benefits based on their level of disability. These benefits are common in cases where victims suffer tears, herniation, dislocations, fractures, or bulging discs. Workers are able to file for these benefits for up to two years following the date of their last treatment.
- Total Disability Benefits: When workers suffer permanent limitations from their work-related injuries, and they are no longer able to earn a living, they may be entitled to total disability benefits.
Individuals who incur illnesses or injuries on the job should reach out to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Elizabeth, New Jersey as soon as possible.
How a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Elizabeth, New Jersey Can Help You
Individuals who are injured on the job can benefit greatly by working with a skilled Elizabeth, New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney at Metro Law. Our attorneys have extensive experience helping injured workers throughout their complex claims. Some of the most common issues we have helped injured workers with include, but are not limited to:
- Being denied workers’ compensation benefits for a variety of reasons
- A failure to notify the employer
- A failure to seek medical attention in a timely manner
- Insurance companies say the injury did not happen during the scope of employment
- The incident did not occur at the worker’s place of employment
- Insurance companies claim the injury is exempt from covered conditions
- In other cases, we help victims who are not paid, or cut off from benefits, due to the following reasons:
- The medical treatment was not provided by an authorized physician
- The duration and type of treatment was not authorized
- The medical treatment is deemed unreasonable or unnecessary
- The medical treatment is not connected to a work-related injury or condition
- The medical treatment exceeds a reasonable duration
- There are numerous instances where workers’ compensation insurance companies make unjustified decisions regarding an injured employees temporary, permanent, partial, or total disability status. We help injured workers who:
- Are wrongfully denied benefits for which they are entitled due to a misclassification of their disability
- Do not receive the full amount of benefits due to the misclassifications placed on them by the workers’ compensation insurance company
There are also countless cases where insurance companies offer low-ball settlements, terminate benefits without cause, and engage in other self-serving activities that cause harm to injured workers and their families. Alternatively, there are cases where injured workers can return to light duty, but their employers fail to accommodate the restrictions they have or they unlawfully terminate them due to their restrictions. Workers should not be forced to endure this type of treatment from employers or workers’ compensation insurance companies. For this reason, we work diligently to ensure those harmed are able to collect the compensation and benefits they deserve.
Why Work with Metro Law
Reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that more than 100 people lose their lives in New Jersey work accidents annually. Sadly, thousands more are left with debilitating and life-altering injuries that require extensive medical treatment and force them out of work for months. Not only do these horrific incidents have a devastating mental and physical impact on the lives of victims, but they often endure endless financial burdens that impact their families as well. For this reason, it is imperative for victims to reach out to a competent workers’ comp attorney in Elizabeth, New Jersey as soon as possible.
Our attorneys at Metro Law have over four decades of experience helping injured workers get the justice and compensation they deserve. We strive to help injured employees protect their legal rights so they can obtain the maximum amount of compensation and benefits for which they are entitled. We firmly believe victims should not incur endless financial devastation due to work injuries, which is why we fight aggressively to ensure they get the benefits they deserve. Contact our workers’ comp attorneys in Elizabeth, New Jersey at (973) 344-6587 to schedule a free case evaluation to explore legal options available for you. Our attorneys will review the details surrounding your accident, file timely paperwork, and ensure all routes are explored so you can get the maximum amount of compensation and the benefits you deserve.