In an ideal situation, employees should be able to count on their employer's workers compensation insurance company to cover their medical expenses and loss of income when they get hurt at work. Sometimes, the system works just like it's supposed to, and employees have minimal issues. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, workers compensation cases can be a bit more complicated, and when this happens, you will probably need to get a lawyer involved. These are a few signs that your workers compensation case might be a little bit complicated.
You Failed a Drug Test
In many cases, it's routine to have to take a drug test after you are hurt on the job. If you have failed a drug test for marijuana or any other substance, there's a good chance that the workers compensation insurance company will deny your claim. If this happens, you might think you are completely out of luck. However, a lawyer may be able to help you in this situation. It's not a good idea to try to deal with this type of situation on your own, so you should hire a lawyer immediately to see if they can assist you.
Your Claim Has Been Denied for Pre-Existing Conditions
You might have already had some type of injury before you got hurt at work. If this is the case, the workers compensation insurance company might deny your claim, since they might try to argue that you weren't actually hurt on the job but were already injured for other reasons that aren't related to your job at all. However, if you know that you have experienced an injury due to workplace reasons, despite your pre-existing conditions, you can fight the case with a lawyer. The same is true if you did not actually have pre-existing conditions before your workplace injury, despite the claims that the insurance company is making.
You're Going to Be Out of Work for a Long Time
If you're only going to be out of work for a few days or weeks because of your injury, your case might not be too complicated. If you're going to be out of work for months or years because of your injury, on the other hand, the insurance company is going to have to pay out a lot more money. This can lead to them fighting your case a lot harder. Plus, you might need help with things like applying for disability in this scenario. Luckily, a lawyer should be able to assist you if you're in this situation.
For more information, contact a workers compensation lawyer near you.