Articles Posted in Workers Comp

After a workplace injury in Atlanta, it is very important that you see a medical professional right away. You need to see a doctor even if you are not certain that your injury is a serious one and even if your initial symptoms seem mild. Seeing a doctor promptly is important because you want to preserve your right to make a workers' compensation claim. If your symptoms don't go away or it turns out the injury is worse than initially anticipated, having medical records documenting the injury after it happened will be very important to being able to make a benefits claim.

There are specific rules you must follow for seeing a doctor and getting your medical bills covered by workers' compensation. An Atlanta work injury lawyer can help you to understand what the requirements are for making a successful workers' comp claim to get medical bills paid for. An attorney can also help you if you are not getting the medical care that you believe you deserve after sustaining an on-the-job injury.

The Rules for Seeing a Doctor after an Atlanta Workplace Injury

On election day, a surprise upset resulted in Donald J. Trump being elected president. In anticipation of this possibility, some experts have looked at the impact that Trump’s election could have on workplace safety. Most pundits predict that there are likely to be fewer new regulations passed to protect workers, and less enforcement of the regulations already on the books.

If worker safety becomes less of a federal priority or if regulations are not enforced as thoroughly as they could be, there is a chance of more workplace injuries happening. Employees need to know what their rights are in case employers fail to follow safety rules.

They also need to know what to do in the event that a workplace accident happens and causes them to be harmed. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can assist injured workers in pursuing a claim to get benefits they need for injury losses.

Nationwide, improving economic conditions are causing the number of workplace deaths to rise. From 2009 to 2013, the number of annual fatalities on-the-job was 4,700 or below. Preliminary data recently made available for 2014 shows this record will be broken and that the number of workplace deaths could crack 5,000 for the first year since 2008, before the economic collapse.

While death rates are rising across all industry, there are some specific groups of workers who are facing the most significant increases in fatalities. This includes police officers, older workers, and contract workers.

Family members of these employees or of any workers who have been killed while performing work tasks need to understand their legal rights and their legal options. An Atlanta workplace fatality lawyer can provide representation to dependents, including spouses and children, whose family members were killed at work. Contact an attorney as soon as possible following a death on-the-job to get your workers’ comp death benefits claim started.

If you have a medical condition and are told to undergo treatment, what happens if your work makes your injury worse? In most cases, you can still get coverage for your injury- even though you were already affected by it. As long as you can demonstrate that your work tasks exacerbated the damage to your health, you should be able to make a successful claim.

Obtaining benefits for a work injury when you have a pre-existing condition can be a complicated process because there is a good chance your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer is going to try to deny your claim and argue your ailments are not work-related. With the help of an Atlanta workers’ comp attorney, you will need to demonstrate that you actually are entitled to medical bills, disability income, and other workers’ comp benefits. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to begin building your evidence.

What Happens When Atlanta Work Injuries Aggravate Pre-Existing Conditions?

Georgia laws impose requirements on virtually all employers to buy workers' comp insurance to cover their employees. The purpose of this requirement is so a worker who gets hurt while performing work duties won't face financial disaster and won't become a burden on the state. Workers' comp should kick in to provide coverage any time an on-the-job injury happens and should pay for medical bills as well as providing income in case a disability temporarily or permanently prevents work or lowers earning power. Negligence on the part of the employer (or employee) typically doesn't matter as long as it can be demonstrated a workplace illness or workplace injury is related to job duties.

Unfortunately, while the system is supposed to work this way, it does not always work this way in practice. The problem is, sometimes legitimate claims are denied or employees are denied some or all of the benefits that the laws says they should receive when they get hurt at work. If you find yourself having difficulty getting benefits which you believe you deserve after sustaining a work injury, you need to speak with an Atlanta workers' compensation lawyer about your rights and about your legal options for protecting yourself financially.

Challenges In Getting Atlanta Workers' Compensation Benefits

Occupational hearing loss can be devastating, but unfortunately it is far too common. Some workers are much more vulnerable to suffering the effects of occupational hearing loss than employees in other industries are. Employers and employees must be aware of the risks and take steps to try to mitigate the damage that noise exposure can cause to a person’s hearing.

When occupational hearing loss occurs, victims need to understand what their legal options are. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can provide representation and assistance to workers so they can try to get full workers’ comp benefits after suffering hearing loss as a result of their job duties.

Top Industries for Atlanta Workplace Hearing Loss

For companies that are serious about preventing Atlanta work injuries, a culture of safety begins at the top and is pervasive throughout the entire organization. Unfortunately, far too many employers are not taking the right steps to make sure staff stay safe. Workers have noticed that companies are not doing their part, and this can have a big impact on employee/employer relations.

If an employer fails to live up to any basic safety duties, those who are harmed by the failure can and should consider taking legal action. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can provide help to those who have been injured while performing any work tasks. Employers should try to do everything they can to make sure this doesn’t happen- which means changing the focus on what is most important in a worksite.

Preventing Atlanta Work Injuries Isn’t Always a Top Priority For Employers

The recovery following the recession of 2008 and 2009 has resulted in explosive growth of the temporary workforce. USA Today reported in 2013 that in the four years since the recession ended, there has been more than a 50 percent increase in the number of temp workers in the country. There were around 2.7 million temps in 2013, which is the highest number ever recorded. No other sectors have expanded at the rate that the temporary workforce has, and when combined with freelancers, contract workers and consultants, about 12 percent of all workers in the country do not have a traditional employment relationship.

Unfortunately, this is very bad news for workers. Not only are temp workers frequently denied traditional workplace benefits like healthcare or vacation time, but they may also be forced to work in conditions that are not very safe. When a temp worker is hurt on-the-job, he needs to understand how to make a workers’ compensation claim outside of the traditional employment relationship. An Atlanta workers’ comp lawyer can provide guidance and assistance on obtaining benefits and compensation.

U.S. Is Lagging in Protections for Temp Workers

Treating workplace injuries is very expensive, and insurers are regularly looking for ways to reduce the costs associated with providing medical benefits to those who are hurt on the job. Recently, Claims Journal reported that some workers’ compensation insurers are considering the use of telemedicine in order to both provide better treatment access to patients as well as to reduce expenditures.

Telemedicine involves patients contacting doctors from remote locations using a standard telephone or Internet telephone contact systems. Doctors can assess patients, and provide treatment advice or even prescribe medications depending upon the symptoms and the circumstances of the patient. While telemedicine could make it easier to get certain types of medical care, it is important to make sure your health is not compromised and that you are able to see a doctor when you need one. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can help you to ensure that you are getting the medical benefits coverage you deserve after you suffer an injury while doing work tasks.

Telemedicine as a Workers’ Compensation Treatment Solution

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration levied a $700,000 fine against a company that exposed 14 staff members to excessive amounts of lead. Exposure to dangerous levels of lead can have devastating consequences and it is of vital importance that companies follow best practices for safety to avoid excess exposure. Safety News Alert reported on the OSHA fines and citations against the company that failed to protect the safety of its staff members.

Lead exposure is one of many top causes of workplace illness, and it can happen in many different professions. If you or someone you love is sick because you were exposed to lead or other toxins at work, you should be entitled to payment of your medical bills and to other benefits including disability income, if your illness affects your work. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer should be consulted for help in making a claim for benefits following exposure to excess lead levels.

Dangerous Levels of Lead Can Cause Atlanta Workplace Illnesses