Steps To Take Before You Hire A Workers Comp Attorney New Orleans LA Employees Use

By Donna Moore


If you have been hurt on the job, you may have to go to the emergency room. You might end up out of work for an extended period of time, or have to take time off for doctor appointments. Bills quickly mount up, and you may not know how you are going to meet all your obligations. In Louisiana, you should understand your company's compensation policy and take certain steps before you hire a workers comp attorney New Orleans LA employees have used.

The first thing you need to do when you have been injured in the workplace is report it to the appropriate person in the company. This person may be your immediate superior or someone in your human resources office. You should not leave work and go to the hospital without explaining the circumstances unless it is an emergency.

You need to let the doctor who examines you in the emergency room, and anyone else who is involved in your care, know that you are the victim of a workplace incident. Some insurance companies will only approve certain doctors, and you need to make sure your physician is one of them. Once the doctor's office knows you are a worker compensation case, they will fill out the paperwork and remit it to your employer or directly to the insurance company.

You will need to make sure the doctor's report is extremely thorough. If there are details omitted from the report that affect your treatment, the insurance company probably will not want to pay for them. You have a right to copies of all paperwork for your files, and you should be aware of what is in them.

Some employees believe that if anything at all happens to them at work, the employer will be responsible. This is not the case. Breaking a leg in the course of interoffice horseplay is not a worker compensation issue. Showing up on the job under the influence of drugs or alcohol and falling down the stairs will not result in the insurance covering any doctor's care needed either.

Some workplace accident victims believe they can get a big compensation check for their injuries. This is rarely the case. Most states have limits on the amount of money an individual can receive in these situations even if an extended absence is required by the physician. Low income workers may not be adversely affected, but those who have bigger paychecks will be.

Unfortunately there are thousands of employees who fake injuries and illnesses every year trying to get worker compensation. Insurance providers and employers are well aware of this, and you can count on your case being investigated if there is any question at all about the circumstances surrounding your claim. You can end up in court facing jail time if you have lied.

Most people work their whole lives without suffering some serious mishap on the job. For those who are not so lucky, understanding the compensation process is very important.




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