Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Jackson, NJ
If you got injured on the job, or you fell ill due to workplace exposure to something toxic, call Jackson workers’ compensation lawyer Stan Gregory for help with your workers’ compensation claim. Stan Gregory has over twenty years of experience helping the workers of New Jersey receive their due compensation and can help you get the maximum benefits you deserve.
You should know that just like any other type of business, insurance companies concern themselves with their bottom line. They only make profit for their shareholders when they collect premium payments but deny, delay, or underpay claims for workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately for New Jersey workers, this inherent conflict of interest often results in denial and underpayment of valid workers’ compensation claims.
Insurance companies employ a team of lawyers to justify denying, delaying, or underpaying your workers’ compensation claim. Stan Gregory’s goal is to level the playing field for you. He has built his career on helping workers like you fight back. Call Stan Gregory today at 609-281-5100 and receive your free initial consultation. Stan Gregory only takes cases on a contingency basis, so you never pay out-of-pocket for his services.
How a Jackson Workers’ Compensation Attorney Helps
A workers’ comp attorney helps you navigate the legal process of filing a workers’ compensation claim in two essential ways.
First, they can offer you sound legal advice on effectively reporting an incident or accident and what type of medical evidence you should request when you visit a doctor. Second, they represent and advocate for you during negotiations with the insurance company and during any legal proceedings in workers’ compensation court, if those proceedings become necessary.
You should spend your time and energy resting and recovering. While you do, you can rely on your workers’ comp attorney to guide you through the confusing and complicated legal process of filing for and fighting for the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve.
What to Do if You Get Injured at Work
There are three steps you must take if you suffer an injury or think there is a chance you might have developed an injury or illness due to an incident, exposure, or experience at work:
- Report the incident to your employer to begin making a record of the injury and the incident or accident that caused it. Without this record your case becomes more difficult to prove. Even if you are not sure that you got injured or will become ill because of something that happened at work, you should report the incident because some injuries and illnesses take time to develop.
- Visit a doctor paid for by your employer before seeing one of your choice, unless you fall under the protection of the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) which allows federal employees to see the doctor of their choice first. Visiting a doctor and obtaining the doctor’s report is essential to the claims process because the doctor’s report determines the scope of your injury or illness, and thus the type and amount of workers’ comp benefits you are eligible for.
- Prepare to file your claim by documenting the underlying incident while your memory is fresh. Be sure to note the names of any possible witnesses to the incident. After you have reported the incident and received the doctor’s report, you may then file your workers’ compensation claim.
An experienced workers’ compensation attorney helps you complete all three of these steps accurately and effectively so that you have the best chance of getting the maximum benefits. If you are searching for a workers’ comp lawyer in Jackson, NJ, contact Stan Gregory at 609-281-5100 for help.
Available Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Jackson, NJ
Lost Wages
“Lost wages” is merely another way of saying pay for work you could not perform while you are at home, recovering from your illness or injury. NJ’s workers’ compensation scheme compensates you for lost wages from the time you are out of work until you return. The amount of your weekly payments equals 70% of your average weekly earnings, not to exceed 75% of the Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) or fall below 20% of the SAWW.
Medical Expenses
Workers’ compensation pays all medically-necessary expenses you incur during your illness or injury and your subsequent recovery. These expenses may include hospitalization, surgeries and other procedures, therapies, and prescription drugs, until a doctor reports a full or maximum recovery.
Temporary Partial Disability Benefits
Temporary Partial Disability Benefits may be available for Injured workers who can perform “light duty” or perform the same work but for fewer hours despite their injury. Temporary Partial Disability helps cover the difference between previous earnings and what the worker is able to earn during recovery. Temporary Partial Disability benefits are two-thirds of that difference.
Temporary Total Disability Benefits
If a worker cannot return to work at all until they are fully recovered, Temporary Total Disability benefits help cover their lost income while they heal. Beneficiaries receive two-thirds of their regular income and start receiving payments as early as three days from being out of work. Payments stop when a doctor approves return to work or if the worker gets the maximum of 400 weeks of payments.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits
If a worker is permanently injured but is still able to work, they may be eligible for Permanent Partial Disability benefits. The type and severity of illness or injury determine the amount of Permanent Partial Disability benefits. Permanent disabilities are either scheduled or unscheduled. Scheduled disabilities are visual or hearing impairments or the loss of fingers, toes, or limbs. Unscheduled disabilities may be heart, lung, or back issues. Either way, a permanent disability is compensable even when the worker returns to work.
Permanent Total Disability Benefits
Workers’ compensation pays those who can no longer work due to their disability Permanent Total Disability benefits. It does not matter if the worker can work some other job – if the worker cannot perform their previous duties, they are eligible for this benefit. Total blindness or the loss of both arms are examples of total disability.
Death Benefits
The dependents of workers who die due to a job-related injury or illness may be eligible for workers’ compensation death benefits, including funeral expenses. The definition of “dependents” for the purposes of workers’ compensation is much broader than say for the IRS or family law. If someone close to you died due to a workplace incident, call Jackson workers’ compensation lawyer Stan Gregory to determine if you are eligible for death benefits.