Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Huntsville, AL

Were You Injured at Work in Alabama?

If you are injured at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

These benefits are designed to help you pay for medical treatment for work-related injuries and cover lost wages. An injured employee is eligible to receive benefits regardless of who caused the workplace accident.

After you suffer a work-related injury, it is vitally important that you take the following steps:

• Seek medical attention.
• Report your injury immediately by giving written notice to your supervisor or someone in a supervisory position within five days.
• Ask your supervisor or employer to provide a doctor to treat your work-related injury.

If you fail to report your injuries to your employer in a timely fashion, it may affect your right to recover workers’ compensation benefits. Your employer is not obligated to pay for your injury-related medical treatment or a portion of your wages until you give notice of your accident and get referred to an authorized doctor.

You should also consider hiring an experienced Alabama workers’ compensation lawyer to fight for your interests and guide you through the workers’ compensation claim process. You will deal with insurance adjusters who work for insurance companies that try to pay the lowest amount possible. Your employer’s workers’ compensation carrier has an economic interest in denying your Alabama workers’ compensation claim. You need someone to cut through the red tape and recover the workers’ compensation benefits you need right away.

We help injured workers receive the benefits to which they are entitled to their work injuries. Contact the experienced Alabama workers’ compensation lawyers at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C.

Accidents and Illnesses That Qualify for Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Alabama

Alabama residents work in a wide variety of jobs, and some accidents can be unique to certain occupations, particularly in an industrial or manufacturing environment. Other kinds of accidents commonly occur in all kinds of workplaces, such as:

The injuries that can stem from these types of accidents can often be quite severe. Many workers require several weeks or months of hospitalization and ongoing treatment or rehabilitation.

Such injuries can also lead to significant difficulty returning to work with the same level of function, or even returning to work at all. Some of the possible injuries and illnesses in these cases may include the following:

A worker can also be killed on the job, which can leave an entire family in disarray. In such tragic instances, the family of a deceased worker could file for death benefits under Alabama workers’ compensation laws.

Occupational illnesses stemming from workplace exposure to hazardous substances can be very complex because employees typically do not display any symptoms until much later after the original exposure. The statute of limitations in these cases is usually the date a victim knew or should have known about their medical condition.

Some employees may be reluctant to “rock the boat” by reporting a workplace injury. Please keep in mind, however, that it is against the law for any employer to engage in any kind of retaliation against an employee who files an Alabama workers’ compensation claim.

How to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Alabama

Alabama requires an injured worker to file a written report of an accident or injury to their employer within five days, but an oral report of such injuries or accidents may be acceptable. An employee who does not submit a written report within 90 days of the date of an accident will not receive any workers’ compensation.

Your employer should have a list of preferred medical care providers from which you should seek treatment. If you receive care from an unauthorized healthcare provider, the bills may not be covered by workers’ compensation.

Your employer is required to file a First Report of Injury or Occupational Disease Form with the Alabama Department of Labor. The form must be submitted within 10 days after the date of receipt of notice of knowledge of death or injury.

Not all employers accept liability for accidents and may seek to deny benefits in some cases. An injured employee can contact the Worker’s Compensation Division of the Alabama Department of Labor to request that an examiner review the claim. It is best, however, to quickly seek an attorney for assistance with your appeal options to help you navigate through the system.

Recover From Your Work Injuries While We Handle Your Claim Dispute

While you recover from your work-related injury, our experienced workers’ comp attorneys will conduct an evaluation of your Alabama workers’ compensation claim. Each case must be handled based on its own facts. In most cases, we will perform a full investigation of the accident scene, interview any witnesses, and take pictures of the equipment or vehicles involved. We can also advise you as to how returning to work, receiving pension benefits, or receiving unemployment compensation may impact your Alabama workers’ compensation claim.

It is not uncommon for an injured worker to be uncertain how to proceed if the employer disputes a claim for medical coverage after a workplace accident. You should talk with a Huntsville personal injury lawyer who handles workers’ compensation claims if you believe that you have an on-the-job injury or disease, and your employer or the insurer that administers the program has denied your claim or is dealing with you unfairly. Let us explain the process and discuss your legal options during a free initial consultation.

Keep in mind that insurers have an economic incentive to pay out as little in benefits as possible. Having a knowledgeable attorney advocating on your behalf in a disputed claim shows that you are serious about collecting your rightful workers’ comp benefits.

The Importance of Prompt Notification and Following the Doctor’s Orders

Generally, any business in Alabama other than agricultural operations that has five or more employees, whether full-time or part-time, is required by law to provide workers’ compensation insurance.

Alabama’s Workers’ Compensation Law entitles an employee who is injured on the job or develops an occupational disease to lifetime medical benefits related to their work injury. The treatment must be medically necessary and, except in cases of emergency, an authorized doctor must provide the care for it to be covered.

Your employer will notify you of the authorized doctor to see for treatment. If you are dissatisfied with the doctor who initially treats you, you can request a change of doctors. Your employer must provide a panel of four other doctors from which to choose. It is important that you submit to an examination by a doctor authorized by your employer, follow the doctor’s treatment plan as directed, and attend follow-up physical rehabilitation as prescribed.

Your employer is responsible for paying for medical bills related to your work-related injury. A medical provider cannot bill you separately for authorized treatment for a workplace injury. But if you refuse to comply with the treatment plan prescribed by the doctor, you may be told that your right to compensation has been suspended. Workers who sustain an injury on the job because they are intoxicated, under the influence of illegal drugs, or engaging in other willful conduct may forfeit their right to workers’ compensation benefits. If you refuse to cooperate with a drug or alcohol screening test, your workers’ compensation claim may be denied.