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Injuries on the job, unfortunately, occur with alarming frequency. If you have gotten injured at work or become sick as a result of harmful exposure at work, you may think that having workers’ compensation will ensure that you receive all the benefits you need.
However, often, you may find that your employer disputes whether the injury was truly work-related. That, or the insurance company may try to only provide bare-minimum compensation, which may not cover the full extent of your injury costs.
In these situations, it’s difficult to know what to do or how to best advocate for yourself. Instead of feeling hopeless or settling for an amount that won’t cover the full scope of your injuries, contact attorney Ali Awad.
Ali Awad is passionate about educating workplace injury victims so that they know the full extent of their rights. His firm’s primary goal is for underserved clients to feel empowered, making the best decisions for themselves and their families.
Ali Awad, the CEO Lawyer, has helped many injury victims in difficult situations. His legal experience and deep knowledge help him to know which strategies have the highest chance of success.
From what evidence to gather to how to handle the insurance companies, his clients get the best chance at getting the full compensation they deserve.
Reach out to the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm today to schedule your free, no-risk case consultation. We will listen to the details of your case and provide you with a personalized plan about how to best move forward.
Call (423) 777-8888 today so that we can get started working for you!
Chattanooga Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help You Regain Your Footing
If you have been injured or have fallen ill as a result of completing the requirements of your job, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation. However, without an attorney to help advocate for you, the employer may try to say that the injury did not occur on the job.
That, or the insurance company may try to pay you a minimum amount, which may not take into account the pain and suffering that accompanied your injury or illness. Nor might they consider the wages you have already lost as a result of your claim, let alone the future wages you may come to lose if you can’t return to work.
Working with an experienced lawyer can help ensure that you have the best chance of receiving the compensation you need for all of your covered losses. When you work with an attorney, they can help you document your injury thoroughly, receive an accurate diagnosis, as well as calculate the full extent of your damages.
An attorney will take all of this into consideration and use it to help you seek benefits to help cover the full extent of your loss — in the past, present, and future.
Benefits Available Could Include:
- Medical treatment coverage, including future care
- Replacement wages
- Rehabilitation
- Vocational retraining
- Funeral and burial benefits for accidents involving a wrongful death
Serving Workplace Accident Victims in Chattanooga
Chattanooga is a bustling town, home to many employment opportunities. There are popular attractions, such as the Chattanooga Aquarium, as well as many shops and stores, both downtown and throughout the city.
No matter your area of expertise, Chattanooga offers a wide variety of employment options. With over 3 million visitors to the city every year, it is no surprise that many people choose Chattanooga as a place to live and work.
However, since the area is popular with tourists, things can often become hectic, especially during peak tourist season. Whether you’re working in a restaurant, trying to serve your customers, or working to maintain one of the many beautiful parks in the city, when things get busy, accidents tend to happen.
We want our jobs to provide us with financial security and well-being, which they can often do. However, sometimes, our jobs do the opposite and put us directly in the path of harm.
If this happens, you may find yourself with steep medical bills. Additionally, you may not be able to return to work for an extended amount of time; depending on your illness or injury, you may not be able to return to that job at all.
If you have been involved in a workplace accident, contacting an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer is the best thing you can do for yourself. Ali Awad and his team of attorneys are knowledgeable and compassionate. We want to ensure that you get the resources you need in order to move on with your life.
What Are the Most Common Types of Workers’ Compensation Claims?
Workers’ compensation claims can be a result of any injury or illness that is job-related. It could stem from a single accident or from an injury that occurs over time, such as one that happens as a result of repetitive stress.
However, workers’ comp claims aren’t limited to just injuries. If you have fallen ill or developed a condition as a result of exposure to a toxic substance, infectious disease, or harmful chemical, you can also file a workers’ compensation claim.
The National Safety Council lists the following as the most common reasons that employees miss work because of an illness or injury:
Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments
This includes exposure to electricity, radiation, noise, extreme temperatures, air and water pressure changes, oxygen deficiencies, as well as exposure to other toxic substances, which even includes Covid-19. Historically, this category ranked 6th in workers’ compensation claims but has recently moved up to the most common claim category due to illnesses related to COVID-19.
Overexertion and Bodily Reaction
These injuries can occur over time or suddenly and are typically a result of physical force being directed at an outside source. Such injuries can result from lifting, pushing, turning, holding, carrying, or throwing.
This category also encompasses repetitive stress injuries, which typically result in stress or strain in some part of the body due to the repetitive nature of the task, which commonly includes tasks that don’t require strenuous effort.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
There are many ways that these injuries can occur: an employee could slip or trip and injure themselves in an attempt to avoid falling. Falling on the same level, falling to a lower level, or jumping down to a lower level are all additional ways that these accidents can cause injury.
The most common injuries seen as a result of slips, trips, and falls include strains, sprains, broken bones, and head trauma.
Contact with Objects and Equipment
Contact with objects occurs when a worker is struck by an object, or it can be caused by a worker striking an object. This type of injury can also occur if a body part is squeezed, pulled, compressed, or crushed in equipment.
This category also encompasses situations where a worker is caught in collapsing material, as well as injuries from friction or vibrations.
Other Injuries
While these categories represent the most common causes of workers’ compensation claims, they are not all-encompassing. Though less common, other claims are filed as a result of transportation incidents, violence by persons or animals, and fire and explosions.
As long as these injuries happened under the scope of employment, they are all eligible workers’ compensation claims.
Is My Injury or Illness Covered by Workers’ Compensation?
The general rule of workers’ compensation claims is that the injury or illness must have happened under the “scope of employment.” This test basically means that if your injury happened while you were on the clock and you were doing something that was expected of you by your supervisor, you should be covered in most situations.
Workers’ compensation is considered a “no-fault” system, which means that workers should be able to file a claim without having to prove that the injury was a total accident or happened 100% at the fault of the employer. This arrangement means that even if a worker’s actions contributed to their injury, they should still be able to file a claim.
However, there are some exceptions to coverage from workers’ compensation. For instance, if a worker were involved in a situation that involved misrepresentation of illness or injury, attacking a co-worker, being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or intentionally inflicting an injury on themselves, their claim would not be eligible to receive workers’ compensation.
Pre-existing conditions are also not covered by workers’ compensation. However, there are instances when accidents or occurrences in the workplace can worsen these conditions or cause them to become more medically complicated.
In this case, these employees may be eligible for partial compensation claims. Contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney for more guidance.
How Soon Do I Need to File My Claim?
Although every state has its own requirements, in Tennessee, you are generally expected to report your injury immediately to your supervisor. However, you have 15 days from the date when the injury occurred to report it to your employer.
Once you have reported your accident to your employer, they will give you a list of three doctors you can see who will provide you with the medical care you need.
It is important to see a physician as quickly as possible after the injury has occurred. You want to make sure that if your injury occurred within the scope of your employment, you are able to receive the workers’ compensation benefits that you are entitled to.
Speak To An Experienced Chattanooga Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today!
Injuries or illnesses that occur in the workplace can have a significant impact on your life. They can cause you to be out of work for weeks — or possibly even months or years; they may cause you to need significant medical care.
The attorneys at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm know this. They want to do everything in their power to help you receive the compensation you need to be able to recover from your injury or illness and then return to life as it was before.
Contact us today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Let us work with you so that we can devise a sound legal strategy to give you the best chance of receiving the compensation you need.
Our experienced attorneys can help you gather evidence surrounding your injury, obtain your medical records, and build a case around your injury. Our primary goal is to give you and your family the best chance at a bright future.
Call (423) 777-8888 or contact us online, and let us get started on working for you today!