How Soon Should I Get a Lawyer If I Was Hurt at Work in Boston?

At the Law Office of John J. Sheehan, we have met so many injured workers who delayed contacting a workers’ compensation lawyer. Each has their own story, but what remained consistent was their reliance on the workers’ compensation insurance adjuster to provide them with information about their rights.

The only way to get the real answers about your work injury recovery is to speak with a Boston workplace injury lawyer as soon as you can. The insurance adjuster works for the insurance company, which is interested in maximizing its own profits by denying or limiting your workers compensation benefits. Once you have received medical attention for your injuries, you should reach out to a lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer can help you communicate with the insurance company representatives and get your paperwork filed within the appropriate deadlines. If you were injured at work in Boston, you don’t have long to wait before acting. Calling for help today will give your lawyer the best chance at meeting all the relevant deadlines for your case.

The experienced Boston worker’s compensation attorneys at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan are waiting by the phone to assist you with your case. to get started with a free initial consultation, call us at (617) 925-6407 to schedule today.

Should I Get Medical Attention for a Work Injury Before I Call a Lawyer in Boston?

Your health should be your first priority. Always seek medical attention immediately after you suffer an injury at work in Boston. Many conditions may fester and become worse or even life-threatening over time. Even if you feel that you are fine or that your injuries are not that bad, you should always get a professional medical opinion. If you call a lawyer after your injury, the first thing the lawyer will ask is whether you have sought medical attention.

Your medical records will be used to prove the nature of your injury and to estimate the cost and timetable for your recovery. Both of these are critical for your achieving the recovery that you deserve for your injuries.

Additionally, seeking medical attention shortly after your injuries prevents the insurance adjuster or responsible party from attempting to claim that some later event caused your injuries. Getting immediate medical care clearly indicates that you take your injuries (and your recovery) seriously. The other way to send this message is by calling a Cambridge workplace injury attorney shortly after attending to your medical needs.

Should You Call a Lawyer Before Speaking with an Insurance Adjuster?

Workplace injury victims who deal with the workers’ compensation insurance company on their own are putting themselves in a very dangerous position. You should always have the assistance of an experienced Boston workplace injury attorney when dealing with insurance representatives. When they see that a victim does not have representation, insurance adjusters may use underhanded and deceptive tactics that may reduce or even eliminate any chance of your recovery.

The insurance adjuster’s job is to save the insurance company money. They accomplish this by denying your claim or refusing to cover the medical treatment and diagnostic testing requested by your doctor. The adjuster may also attempt to get you to make statements about the events leading up to your injury, in hopes that you make a mistake and take responsibility for the accident that caused you to be injured. The adjuster can use these admissions to deny your claim or introduce them as evidence if your case gets to a court room.

The adjuster will assign a nurse case manager to your case. Employees often misunderstand or confuse the role of the nurse case manager. The nurse case manager is an employee or contractor of the workers’ compensation insurer. The nurse case manager is not your medical provider. In fact, they may attempt to influence your doctor to release you to go back to work in order to deprive you of the benefits to which you are entitled.

If the insurance company or their representatives are acting in bad faith, you may be able to file a lawsuit against them and recover damages in addition to what you deserve in terms of injury compensation. If you have concerns about the way the workers’ compensation insurance company has been behaving in your case, call one of our Malden worker’s compensation attorneys to discuss your options.

How Long Do I Have to Contact a Lawyer for a Work Injury in Boston?

In Boston, you must abide by certain deadlines if you hope to recover for your work injury. The statute of limitations (or the deadline to file a claim with your workers’ compensation insurance company) in Massachusetts is four years from the date that you became aware of your injury. Most commonly, this date is the same date as the accident, except in certain circumstances such as unknowing exposure to hazardous chemicals on a work site. Failing to meet the deadline will result in you losing out on your ability to recover for your injuries.

However, filing a workers’ compensation claim may not be the best method of recourse for your situation. You may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party to recover even more than is available through traditional workers’ compensation. In these situations, Massachusetts law compresses the statute of limitations to only three years. If a personal injury lawsuit is available in your case, you won’t want to pass it up. Call our Massachusetts workplace injury attorneys as soon as possible to avoid missing the critical deadlines on your case.

Can a Lawyer Help You Collect Workers’ Compensation If You Are Already Receiving Unemployment Benefits in Boston?

Many injured workers are surprised to find out that you can in fact collect partial workers’ compensation benefits while simultaneously receiving unemployment benefits. Most people are not aware of this because the law is quite complicated in this area. However, with the help of an experienced Boston workplace injury attorney, you can structure your workers’ compensation settlement payout to be prorated over an extended period of time, thereby avoiding reductions in the benefits you are already receiving. This is called a “Sciarotta Allocation,” a practice that you should only attempt with the help of a seasoned Boston workplace injury lawyer.

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Lawyer for a Boston Workplace Injury?

Under the Massachusetts workers’ compensation statute (General Laws Chapter 152), most attorney’s fees and legal costs are paid by the workers’ compensation insurance company. Injured workers don’t pay attorney’s fees directly to their attorney out of their own pocket. Further, most personal injury attorneys can work on contingency fees, so if you ultimately sue the insurance company, employer, or a third party, you will only be responsible for paying a portion of the total amount that you ultimately recover. Additionally, our Boston workplace injury attorneys offer free initial consultations to all new clients. You have nothing to lose by reaching out to the Law Office of John J. Sheehan today for a consultation on your legal options.

Call Our Boston Workplace Injury Lawyers Today for Free

If you’ve been injured while on the job in Boston and hope to recover for your injuries, you have nothing to lose by calling the experienced Wakefield worker’s compensation attorneys at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan. Schedule your first appointment for free today by calling (617) 925-6407.