
Healing is the first thing a worker should be concerned with after getting injured on the job. Yet, lost wages, medical costs, and financial hardship takes away the focus on recovery. There are laws known as the worker’s compensation laws to provide injured workers relief for their injury suffered while working. Various factors surrounding the worker’s comp claim and settlement, and if you are puzzled about the question “will worker’s comp offer me a settlement,” then here are facts that you should know.
Before you can qualify for a worker’s compensation settlement, you have to be employed by a company, and the company must have worker’s compensation insurance. Consultants, freelancers, and contractors are not eligible for the worker’s compensation settlement plan, and if your injury is not related to your job, you are also not eligible. The worker’s comp settlement importance covers future medical care costs, permanent disability benefits, and temporary disability benefits.
“Compromise and Release” with “Stipulation and Award” are the two main types of settlements worker’s compensation settlement involves. Stipulation and award get paid over years or weeks, and it consists of an agreement by the insurance company to cover an injured worker’s present and future medical care. A lump-sum payment gets paid per the compromise/release category, bringing a settlement case between the insurance company with a worker to an end.
Will Worker’s Comp Offer Me A Settlement
The settlement an injured worker gets at the end depends on how severe the injury, is if it is a permanent or temporal injury, and other factors too. As an injured worker, you might have thoughts about what you should do and shouldn’t do after suffering an injury on the job. You might do or not do things that would have an impact on your worker’s comp claim, so the do’s and don’ts which we have brought to you would help increase your worker’s comp settlement chances.
- Report your injury to your employer immediately when it happens because delaying might cause your employer to deny your claim.
- Go for medical treatment after informing your employer to get a full assessment of your injury and if the doctor would place you on restrictions.
- Even if you feel better, ensure that you follow your doctor’s plan till you get clearance from your doctor.
- Submit your medical examination to your company for record purposes
- When talking to an insurance adjuster or doctor, do not lie or exaggerate the amount of pain you feel or the cause of your injury
- Make sure you meet up with all of your legal proceedings and meetings
- Hire an experienced worker’s comp attorney to guide you through all the legal processes
Do All Worker’s Comp Cases End In A Settlement
As we all know, all worker’s compensation cases would not end in awards or settlement, but about eighty percent of worker’s compensation cases would end in a settlement. A compromise might get achieved if a worker’s comp case results in the worker’s death or permanent disability. In other cases, the situation might be a bit complicated if it goes to a hearing and a judge has to decide the final verdict.
It is essential to note that settlement might take years, months, or weeks to get resolved because there are no guarantees. By talking to an expert in worker’s compensation, you would determine if it is wise to take your case to court or settle for payment.
You might be thinking about what the average worker’s compensation amount is. The answer is it is ranged anywhere from a few dollars to ten million dollars; still, the average worker’s comp settlement is somewhere around twenty-one thousand dollars. The good news is this amount increases based on how severe the injury is, but some factors can also increase the amount. These factors are;
- Negotiating settlement and not taking up the first offer
- Filing an appeal even after the first settlement
- Working with a lawyer to get the best legal advice and support
It is essential to understand that using an online personal injury calculator is not an official calculation for your injury claim