If you sustained an injury on the job in Covington, Kentucky, understanding your rights is essential for recovering the maximum benefits you are entitled to. At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, our Covington workers’ compensation lawyers have the knowledge, experience, and dedication to help you seek the compensation you need after a workplace injury.
Contact our firm now for a free consultation about your case with a member of our legal team. We will review the accident that caused your injuries and help you identify whether you have a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury case, or both. Our lawyers will also explain what to expect from your case and how we will handle it, so you can feel confident you are in good hands.
What Is Workers’ Compensation and How Does It Work?
Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that provides coverage for workplace injuries and occupational illnesses for workers in Covington and throughout Kentucky. Employers purchase workers’ comp insurance to cover the expenses of their employees who are injured or fall ill while working. Since it is a no-fault system, you do not have to prove that your employer was at fault for your injuries to recover the workers’ compensation benefits you need.
As an employee, you are covered by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance from the very first day of employment.
However, employees covered by workers’ compensation typically do not have the right to sue their employer for on-the-job accidents and occupational illnesses. Non-employees, such as independent contractors, are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance. Instead, those workers must seek compensation through personal injury lawsuits that rely on proving that someone else was at fault for the accident that injured them.
Injured employees sometimes have a personal injury claim in addition to workers’ compensation when someone other than their employer or a co-worker did something careless that caused the accident. For example, a delivery driver could bring a third-party personal injury claim against the motorist who was at fault for a crash.
Benefits You Can Receive in a Covington Workers’ Compensation Claim
Our workers’ compensation attorneys can help you seek the maximum benefits you are entitled to. Kentucky workers’ comp benefits include medical expense coverage, lost wage replacement, and vocational rehabilitation.
Medical Benefits
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should cover your emergency care and other medical treatments related to your work injury. Medical benefit payments cover all reasonable and necessary medical treatments, which typically means any treatments your doctors prescribe for your workplace injury or occupational illness.
However, in some cases, workers’ comp insurers might claim that certain treatments are not reasonable or necessary. That is why it is essential to have your doctor update your medical records accordingly and to hire our Covington workers’ comp lawyers to handle the insurance company on your behalf.
Medical benefits continue for as long as you are receiving treatment for your injuries.
Wage Loss Benefits
If your injuries prevent you from working or limit the capacity in which you can work, you may be entitled to partial wage replacement. Lost wage benefits replace up to two-thirds of your lost wages, up to a maximum set by the state each year.
Kentucky’s workers’ compensation system has the following three types of wage loss benefits:
- Temporary total disability (TTD) – These benefits cover a portion of your lost wages while you are out of work for more than seven calendar days. To receive compensation for the first seven days you are out of work, you must have missed at least 15 days.
- Permanent partial disability (PPD) – These benefits are for employees whose injuries have healed as much as possible but still suffer from impairment that results in permanent wage loss or wage-earning capacity. The amount of PPD compensation depends on the body part affected and the level of lasting disability.
- Permanent total disability (PTD) – These benefits are for employees who are permanently out of the workforce due to their injuries. You must not be able to return to your pre-injury job or any other form of gainful employment to receive PTD benefits.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
You may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation benefits if your injuries prevent you from returning to your pre-injury job, but you can physically perform a different job. Vocational rehabilitation involves education and training to help you get another job that meets your injury-related work restrictions.
How Our Covington Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help You
Our Covington workers’ compensation attorneys can help you seek the maximum compensation you need by handling every aspect of your case while you focus on recovering from your injuries. We will investigate the incident to gather supporting evidence and determine whether you may have additional avenues for seeking compensation, such as filing a third-party personal injury lawsuit.
After analyzing the evidence, we can file your workers’ compensation claim and negotiate with the insurer for a fair settlement. Insurance companies often try to reduce the amount they pay out to claimants. However, we can use our extensive knowledge and experience to fight for the full compensation you deserve.
If the insurance company denies your claim or refuses to make a fair settlement offer, we can also handle your appeals and take your case to hearings if necessary. Because we are confident in our ability to assertively pursue compensation for you, we won’t charge you a fee unless we negotiate a settlement or win an award.
Common Workplace Injuries Our Attorneys Handle
Our workers’ comp attorneys handle a wide variety of workplace injuries in Covington, KY. Some of the most common injuries clients come to us with include:
- Cumulative trauma injuries caused by repetitive motions
- Back and spinal cord injuries caused by falls and strains
- Head and traumatic brain injuries
- Hearing loss caused by constant exposure to loud noise
- Amputation and loss of limb injuries due to machinery accidents
- Broken bones and fractures
- Occupational illnesses, such as black lung disease and mesothelioma
- Electrocution caused by faulty wiring or defective products
- Burn injuries due to fires or chemical exposure
- Fatal work accidents
No matter what type of workplace accident caused your injuries, our team stands ready to provide the comprehensive legal support you need for financial recovery.
We Offer a Free Consultation for Your Workers’ Comp Case
Our Kentucky workers’ compensation lawyers are ready to review your unique situation and explain your options, including pursuing compensation through a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury lawsuit, a Social Security disability claim, or a combination of these approaches.
The attorneys you see in our TV commercials are the same ones who will be working with you on your case. We are real lawyers who advertise, not advertisers who happen to have law degrees.
Contact Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer at (877) 809-5352 for a free consultation about your Covington workers’ comp case.