Montgomery County, MD Workers Compensation Lawyers
Montgomery County, MD workers compensation lawyers know all too well that workers compensation is voluntary. This means that your employer does not have to agree to settle your claim. This also means you do not have to agree with any offer your employer offers you.
When your are looking at your settlement options, it is extremely important to know your benefits that you are entitled to and what rights you have. You should be considering Permanent Partial Disability, Temporary Total Disability (Time Loss Compensation), and Unpaid Medical Bills.
Permanent Partial Disability
Most Montgomery County, MD workers compensation lawyers will inform you that if your work related injury involved any type of permanent impairment, you will mostly likely be entitled to some monetary reward as compensation for your injury. Additionally, if your injury will never go back to normal (pre-injured state) and does not allow you to go back to work or limits the work you can do than you will likely be entitled to a permanent partial disability award.
Employers will often propose a settlement of the permanent partial disability issues by offering a slightly less than, the amount of your likely permanent partial disability award under your workers’ compensation claim. This means you will have to give up the right to argue that the damage done is permanent. Talking to Montgomery County, MD workers compensation lawyers before deciding on any settlements can help you make the right decision.
Temporary Total Disability (Time Loss Compensation)
If your injuries cause or have caused you to be out of work for a long period of time, you will mostly likely qualify for partial or total temporary disability benefits during the time you are off work. Many times, for a large range of possible reasons, your employer or their insurance company won’t have paid you at the right time or paid you the correct amount you deserve. Experienced Montgomery County, MD workers compensation lawyers can help you establish if you were taken advantage of and what next steps you can take.
Unpaid Medical Bills
All medical bills should be covered by your workers compensation insurance. Sometimes, employers may offer you a lump settlement so save themselves from any further medical costs to them. Attorneys can help you make these decisions about what settlements you should and should not accept
Types of Settlement Arrangements
There are two main types of settlement arrangement. These are lump-sum and structured settlements.
Lump-sum – This involves you signed a settlement that will remove some of your rights however in exchange you will receive one lump-sum payment from your employer.
Structured – This involved receiving smaller payments over a period of time. This period of time can vary from one year to ten years or event more.
Considerations in Deciding Whether to Accept a Settlement
According to Montgomery County, MD workers compensation lawyers, here’s what you should consider in deciding whether or not to accept a settlement.
- First you should consider that this benefit is a guarantee and if you don’t take it you may end up with less money or even no money in the long run. On the other hand, this money is a guarantee but may not be as much as you may have been able to receive. Giving up the guarantee opens up room for either a loss or a large gain.
- A second consideration is the fact that you may have to give up your right to future medical treatment for your injury. If you think you may need surgery or expensive medication in the future, you should not accept a settlement.
- A third consideration is that not every state allows settlements so an attorney can help you with these different state regulations
Call Cohen & Cohen today to discuss your rights with an attorney and to ensure you are receiving fair compensation for your injuries. Contact us today to set up a consultation with skilled Montgomery County, MD workers compensation lawyers on our team.
