The Townsley Law Firm
3102 Enterprise Boulevard
Lake Charles, LA 70601
If you sustained an injury or illness while performing your work-related duties, you should reach out to The Townsley Law Firm to discuss the next steps you should take. You are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits to cover your medical treatment and replace a portion of your lost income.
A workplace accident can significantly disrupt your life. You suddenly face physical, emotional, and economic struggles. If you’re injured and unable to work, you might not have the financial means to afford your medical bills and other incurred expenses. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer should provide the benefits necessary to compensate for your losses.
At The Townsley Law Firm, our Lake Charles workplace accident lawyers will advocate for your rights and help you pursue the maximum available benefit payments. We can file the claim on your behalf and submit all the available evidence to prove you were hurt on the job and deserve insurance coverage. If the insurance company denies your claim, we have the experience and resources to file an appeal or pursue a lawsuit and take your case to court.
For a free consultation to learn more about your available options after suffering an injury or illness at work, call us at (337) 377-0584 today.
Workers’ compensation insurance covers injuries and illnesses workers sustain in on-the-job accidents. As long as you were injured while or developed a disease through performing your job duties, you could qualify for benefits through your employer’s insurance carrier.
The most common scenarios that can arise and lead to injuries include:
Exposure to Toxic Substances
Ingesting, breathing in, or touching certain chemicals can result in severe injuries and illnesses. For example, mesothelioma is a common disease from exposure to asbestos. Additional medical conditions that can result from toxic substance exposure include:
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Injuries from performing the same task repeatedly, such as lifting boxes or typing on a computer, can lead to repetitive motion injuries, such as:
Fires and Explosions
Flammable materials, faulty wiring, damaged gas lines, and other hazards could spark a fire and lead to an explosion. Injuries commonly caused under these circumstances include:
Fall from Heights
Some workers spend their days on elevated platforms, cranes, ladders, and other areas high off the ground. A fall can lead to a range of severe injuries, including:
Unsecured Falling Objects
Sometimes, objects can fall onto a person walking underneath if they’re not secured properly. For example, a hammer left on a raised platform on a construction site could fall toward the ground below, striking a worker on the head. The most common injuries suffered from unsecured falling objects include:
Slip/Trip and Fall
Anyone could slip on a wet floor or trip on a cracked sidewalk at work. Injuries commonly suffered in slip/trip and fall accidents include:
If you suffered any of these injuries or illnesses during a workplace accident, do not hesitate to contact The Townsley Law Firm.
Worker’s compensation insurance provides multiple benefits to injured and sick employees. Your employer or their worker’s compensation insurance carrier must provide medical benefits and pay for your necessary medical care and necessary and reasonable travel expenses to seek treatment. You can also request reimbursement of your out-of-pocket medical costs by providing an itemized list and receipts to the insurer or your employer.
You are allowed to choose one doctor to treat your work-related injury from each specialty field. However, if you need non-emergency hospitalization or non-emergency services costing more than $750, your employer or their workers’ compensation insurer must pre-approve coverage.
Indemnity benefits might also be available if you can’t return to your job for longer than seven calendar days due to your eligible workplace injury. The first type of indemnity benefit you could receive is temporary total disability.
Temporary total disability is sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wage you made before the accident. Benefits begin on the date you get hurt at work, but the first payment isn’t until two weeks pass, provided your injury lasts two weeks or longer after the accident.
Permanent total disability is another indemnity benefit you could receive if your injury prevents you from performing any type of work. Payments are at the same rate as temporary total disability but can last for the rest of your life. However, if you start a job at any time during the benefit period, coverage will end.
If you can return to your job but can’t earn at least 90 percent of your pre-injury wages, you could qualify for supplemental earnings benefits. Payments are sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the difference between the average monthly wage you can make and the average monthly wage you made before suffering an injury. Coverage can last up to 520 weeks as long as you’re still eligible.
Workers suffering from a catastrophic injury can receive a one-time payment of $50,000. A catastrophic injury includes quadriplegia, paraplegia, or total anatomical loss of these body parts:
You can apply for vocational rehabilitation services if you can’t make the same wages you made before the accident. You must choose a licensed professional vocational rehabilitation counselor to work with to find adequate employment based on your marketable skills and education.
A surviving spouse, dependent child, or another dependent could receive weekly indemnity benefits if their loved one dies within two years from the date of the last treatment they received due to their work-related injury.
Surviving parents of the deceased worker can receive a one-time payment of $75,000 each if there are no surviving dependents. Additionally, death benefits can pay for reasonable burial expenses up to a limit of $8,500.
Whether you suffer an on-the-job injury or illness, you should take the necessary steps to protect your rights and seek workers’ compensation benefits.
You must go to the hospital or your doctor immediately after the accident. The doctor can evaluate your condition to determine what injury you sustained and whether it interferes with your ability to work. They should also provide a written statement you can use as evidence for your workers’ compensation claim.
Notify your employer of your injury within 30 days. You should do this in writing, so there’s evidence of your report. Once you give notice, your employer’s responsibility is to inform their insurer of what happened within ten days. The insurance company will then submit the information to the office of workers’ compensation for review.
If your initial physician recommends ongoing medical care to treat your injuries, you should listen to their orders. Medical evidence is vital during workers’ compensation claims. You need proof of your injury and illness and its effect on your mental or physical capacity to perform your job. If you skip doctor’s appointments or allow significant time to pass in between treatments, the insurance company could view that as evidence that your injury isn’t serious or doesn’t exist at all.
You could benefit greatly from hiring a workplace accident lawyer in Lake Charles, LA, from The Townsley Law Firm immediately after the incident. Recovering from an injury while taking on the responsibility for an insurance claim can be overwhelming. Instead of facing the burden of various claims-related tasks, let us handle your claim so you can take the time you need to seek medical treatment.
Although we can obtain the evidence to prove your claim, you should maintain any documents you receive that relate to your injuries and treatment. Insurance company letters, physician’s bills, physical therapy notes, prescription medications, and other documentation could be helpful. Keep copies and forward them to us, so we can determine whether we can use them as evidence.
Since 1995, the Lake Charles workplace accident lawyers of The Townsley Law Firm have fought for members of the community. We believe in providing dependable legal services and representation to injured workers. When you face a life-altering injury or illness and can’t resume your everyday life, you can depend on our team to be there for you.
You won’t have to face this challenging experience alone. We will stay by your side during each step of your claim to offer the guidance and support you need. You can count on us to meet your needs and tirelessly work to try to reach the best possible outcome for your case.
If you were involved in a workplace accident, do not hesitate to contact The Townsley Law Firm. We can file your workers’ compensation claim, appeal a denied claim, or pursue a lawsuit for the benefits you deserve. Call us at (337) 377-0584 today for your free consultation with a trusted and compassionate workplace accident lawyer in Lake Charles.