Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Medford Lakes, NJ
If you’ve suffered an injury on the job, or contracted an illness from exposure to something at work or overuse, call New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyer Stan Gregory for help with your claim. Stan Gregory has over twenty years of experience helping the workers of New Jersey receive their due compensation when they contract an illness or suffer an injury on the job.
Insurance companies, like any other business, are concerned with their bottom line. They only make profit for their shareholders when they deny, delay, or underpay claims for workers’ compensation benefits. This inherent conflict of interest often results in New Jersey’s workers not receiving the workers’ compensation benefits they deserve.
Insurance companies have a team of lawyers on their side working 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 Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Medford Lakes, NJ Helps You Win Your Claim
Workers’ comp attorneys can help you navigate the legal process of filing a workers’ compensation claim in two essential ways. First, they 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.
A workers’ comp attorney is your guide through the confusing and complicated legal process of filing for and fighting for the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve.
How to Deal With a Workplace Injury
Here are the 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 supervisor or manager so that there is 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 merely think you may be injured or fall ill because of something that happened at work, you should report the incident because some injuries and illnesses take time to develop.
- See 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 benefits you are eligible for.
- Begin to prepare to file your claim by documenting the underlying incident while your memory is fresh. Be sure to list any possible witnesses. 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 get the maximum benefits. If you are searching for a workers’ comp lawyer in Medford Lakes, NJ, contact Stan Gregory at 609-281-5100 for help.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Workers in New Jersey
Lost Wages
“Lost wages” is merely another way of saying pay you missed 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
All necessary medical expenses you incur during your illness or injury and your subsequent recovery. including hospitalization, surgeries and other procedures, therapies, and prescription drugs, are compensable under NJ’s workers’ compensation scheme, up 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. “Dependents” may not be what you think – for the purposes of workers’ compensation the definition is much broader than say for the IRS or family law. If someone close to you died due to a workplace incident, call Medford Lakes workers’ compensation lawyer Stan Gregory to determine if you are eligible for death benefits.