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Elevan Ways to Get More Money

ELEVEN WAYS A WORK COMP ATTORNEY CAN GET YOU MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET THAN HANDLING YOUR CASE ON YOUR OWN.

The Kansas Department of Labor statistics state that when a person has a lawyer for their workers' compensation claim, they get more medical care and end up with larger awards or settlements. There must be reasons for this and below are 11 of the likely reasons for this result along with a bonus reason.

1. A LAWYER WILL CALCULATE YOUR GROSS AVERAGE WEEKLY WAGE CORRECTLY FOR YOU. In many claims, the insurance carrier underpays weekly workers' compensation benefits because they didn't correctly calculate the wage for the employee. A knowledgeable workers' compensation lawyer will know how to maximize the calculation to get you the highest rate of weekly workers' compensation benefits.

2. A LAWYER WILL GET YOU WEEKLY WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS FOR ALL OF THE WEEKS YOU ARE ENTITLED. In many cases the insurance carrier will terminate weekly benefits for the injured employee hoping to force them back to work when they are not ready and the employer isn't ready either. A workers' compensation lawyer will know what type of paper work you need to support your continued receipt of these weekly benefits for you and your family.

3. A LAWYER WILL GET YOU THE RIGHT TYPE OF SPECIALIST ASSIGNED TO YOUR CASE. In many cases the insurance carrier or employer will try to skimp on treating you by sending you to a non-specialist who will try to treat your problem cheaply. If you don't get treatment with the right type of specialist early on in your case, you will suffer a less than ideal recovery for your injury. Don't hesitate to consult a lawyer who handles workers' compensation claims about what type of specialist might help your condition and help you recover sooner than later.

4. A LAWYER WILL HELP YOU GET ALL PARTS OF YOUR BODY THAT WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT TREATED. The insurance company or employer will often only want to treat just a limited part of your body or injury and not the whole injury in the hopes of saving money and not having to pay disability for everything. A lawyer will get you treatment for all body parts affected by the accident and injury and treatment, not just those the insurance company wants to treat. It is extremely important to understand that if you don't get treatment for a body part you can't typically get a rating for that part and get a settlement for that part of your body.

5. A LAWYER WILL GET A CHANGE OF DOCTORS FOR YOU WHEN THE COMPANY DOCTOR IS DOING NOTHING OR IGNORING YOUR COMPLAINTS. Many times the company doctor will treat you like dirt because they are trying to save money for the employer or insurance company. Don't let them abuse you and cost you money and your health. Get a knowledgeable lawyer who handles workers' compensation claims regularly and who knows the doctors who do this stuff. It will save you money and decrease your suffering.

6. A LAWYER WILL GET YOU THE BEST RATING POSSIBLE FOR YOU INJURY AND NOT RELY ON THE COMPANY DOCTOR TO MISINTERPRET THE GUIDES FOR RATINGS. When you are as good as you are going to get from the treatment for your injuries from your accident, you should never rely upon one doctor, the company doctor, for your final disability rating. They typically rate you very low and don't always rate you accurately with the right Guides. A workers' compensation lawyer who uses the right Guides and knows the doctors who can provide the appropriate ratings will enhance the value of your case significantly, sometimes by 2 to 3 times what the company doctor will give you.

7. A LAWYER WILL CALCULATE YOUR CASE VALUE USING THE CORRECT FORMULA AND NUMBERS. You must understand that even though the insurance company handling your case should know the formula and numbers for valuing your case, they will often use the wrong numbers or formula for your case hoping you won't know any better or you won't try to educate yourself about the numbers. An attorney will know the numbers and formula inside and out and should be able to show you just how much they are mistaken in their calculations.

8. A LAWYER WILL LOCATE THE BEST DOCTOR TO PROVIDE THE MOST APPROPRIATE RATING FOR YOUR CASE. In many cases the insurance carrier will get a rating from the company doctor for your injury knowing that the doctor is going to give you a low rating. This low rating then results in a small "low-ball" offer on your case that really doesn't accurately reflect the injury you have suffered. A lawyer that knows these workers' compensation tactics will know the right doctor to send you to so that you will get a fair settlement from a fair rating.

9. A LAWYER WILL KNOW ALL OF THE PAPERWORK THAT MUST BE TIMELY FILED IN YOUR WORKERS' COMP CLAIM TO PRESERVE YOUR RIGHTS. Sometimes the insurance company doesn't do anything in you claim with the hopes that you will go away and not bother them with getting a settlement or Award. They don't tell you that if you don't file certain papers in the right way at the right time you could forever lose your claim. Then when they do talk settlement they tell you they won't pay you much because you didn't file all of the necessary paperwork. A workers' compensation lawyer will make sure you don't get caught in this trap and have to give up. There are four time limitations that a good workers' comp lawyer will know and protect you from.

10. A LAWYER CAN GET YOU TEMPORARY PARTIAL DISABILITY BENEFITS WHEN NEEDED AND THIS IS A BENEFIT OFTEN IGNORED BY INSURANCE CARRIERS. If you are released back to work but you can't return to comparable wages, you are entitled to TPD which is 2/3 of the difference in you Gross Average Weekly Wage. Most insurance companies won't tell the injured employee that they can collect this and a good workers' compensation lawyer can force their hand and make them pay this where appropriate. This is often money left on the table by the unsuspecting injured employee.

11. A LAWYER WILL ADVISE YOU ON HOW TO REACT TO FINAL RESTRICTIONS AND YOUR EMPLOYER'S REACTION TO THESE SO THAT YOU CAN MAXIMIZE YOUR WORK DISABILITY BENEFITS. It is critical to understand that what you do and say when you receive the final set of restrictions and limitations will determine whether you get a large 5 or 6 figure award or just a few dollars. A good workers' compensation lawyer will advise you how you should approach you doctor, employer and insurance carrier to assure you get the most out of your claim. A properly documented work disability claim can be the difference between getting $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 or getting $5,000.00 to $15,000.00 or somewhere in between. Don't let what you say destroy this valuable aspect of your claim.

*Bonus:

12. A LAWYER KNOWS HOW TO GET YOU A WORK DISABILITY EXPERT IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOB SO THAT YOU CAN GET THE MOST OF THESE ADDED BENEFITS. Having the right work disability expert for your case when you lose your job will make all of the difference in the world to the value of your case. Use a workers' compensation lawyer who knows all of these types of experts in Kansas and you will be going a long way towards having a successful recovery in your case.


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