How to Maximize Your Recovery by Hiring a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Philadelphia, PA
If you have been injured on the job or suffered a work-related condition or disease, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation. Under Pennsylvania law, workers’ compensation laws create a system designed to cover workers’ medical bills and lost wages. But this system is also in place to protect an employer from on-the-job injuries suffered by employees by becoming an “exclusive remedy” for an employee. This means that an employee cannot sue an employer for workplace injuries except in extremely rare circumstances. It also means that a WC insurance adjuster and examining physician are not necessarily on a worker’s side. This is why workers injured can benefit from having a workers’ compensation attorney on their side.
This is particularly true in a large city like Philadelphia where there are many major employers, including some of the largest employers being the City itself and national corporations like Comcast Cablevision Corp (PA). This simply means more claims, more hearings, and more contested applications to be reviewed and decided. It can create a backlog in cases. While Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) and local agencies generally do their best and are often very efficient, the sheer volume of claims in a big city like Philadelphia could cause them to miss critical facts regarding your claim if it is not presented properly. This means you may receive less compensation than you truly deserve.
Not only is this large scale detrimental to a claimant, but injured workers who try to handle their WC claim alone are almost guaranteeing themselves to receive less compensation than they might receive with the help of an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Philadelphia. This is because insurance companies train their adjusters to minimize, undervalue, and even deny valid claims to save money to increase profits. Most adjusters are specifically taught how to do this, often by a defense lawyer in a training program.
Benefits to Hiring a Workers’ Comp Attorney
Although some people may be hesitant to hire a workers’ comp lawyer, there are many benefits to hiring an experienced WC attorney. Some of the most important benefits include the following
Evening the Playing Field
Although you may believe you are working with an insurance adjuster, the truth is that there is often a lawyer working on the other side of your claim too. This is particularly true if your claim goes in front of an ALJ or is otherwise strongly contested. Lawyers have specialized training regarding WC and insurance contracts in general, which most claimants do not. Adding to the fact that a claimant is also injured and suffering an injury, trying to handle a WC claim without a claim simply allows the insurance company to take advantage of your rights. Thus, the most significant benefit to having a workers’ compensation lawyer is to get someone skilled and knowledgeable of Pennsylvania law on your side to even the playing field.
Knowing the Right Experts to Call and Which to Avoid
A large part of proving a WC claim is about having the right experts to support your claim or rebut the other party’s arguments. Not every expert is treated the same, and not every doctor is persuasive in a hearing. But you will not know that until it is too late. It is a huge benefit to have an experienced workers’ comp attorney who knows the right doctors to call to help evaluate and prove your particular injuries.
Not only will your lawyer know the experts to hire, but also the experts to avoid. While there are some exceptional healthcare providers in Philadelphia like those at Pennsylvania Hospital (Penn Medicine) right on Spruce Street, some experts are simply not strong advocates for certain types of claims. Other experts do not like to be called to testify, even if they are your treating physician. Knowing when to sidestep or avoid these experts can be key to maximizing your compensation.
Experience With the Other Party’s Expert
Not only is it a huge benefit to hiring a WC attorney who knows which experts to call and avoid, but the other benefit is to have a lawyer who has cross-examined, evaluated, and worked with or against the other party’s expert. Some experts are known as “hired guns” and may repeat the same lines, diagnoses, and other findings no matter what the facts are in a case. Having a lawyer on your side who has already seen these antics is like having inside information and a significant benefit to boosting your WC claim.
Differentiating Your Pre-existing Conditions
One of the most complex parts of all WC claims is when a claimant has a pre-existing injury, especially for a back injury. The truth is that most of us have had a sore back at one point in our lives. But insurance adjusters and defense lawyers will stretch what was a minor ache into a massive defense for your claim. This can also be very tricky to contest successfully. Having a work injury attorney to defend and distinguish your current injury from pre-existing injury is another significant benefit to hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Philadelphia, PA.
Learn More About the Benefits of Hiring Larry Pitt and Associates for Your WC Claim
Insurance companies thrive when lawyers do not represent claimants because they can bully, take liberties, and underpay claims. Do not let that happen to you or a loved one after a workplace injury in Pennsylvania.
Here at Larry Pitt & Associates, our experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Philadelphia, PA, will fight back and ensure you receive the maximum compensation that you may be entitled to under the law. There are many other benefits to hiring a WC attorney like us, including the reasonable cost for our services despite our extensive experience and proven track record of success. We offer FREE consultations, and our compassionate team is ready to answer your questions today. Call (888)-PITT-LAW or (877) 748-8529, or use our convenient and easy-to-use contact us box available here.
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