Gibbons Law Firm: Workers' Comp Attorney Lake of the Ozarks

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Steps To Take After A Work-Related Accident

Employers have a legal obligation to keep their employees safe. Despite everyone's best intentions, work-related injuries can and do happen with alarming frequency. If you have been injured at work, it's important to take steps to ensure you receive proper compensation for your injuries. Our personal injury attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks is here to help. Below are several steps you should take following an accident at work.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately
First and foremost, if you are in need of immediate medical attention, you should go to the hospital. Attending to your injuries is the most important thing you can do. When you are talking with the medical staff, be sure you tell everyone that your injury occurred at work. In order to get compensation, they will most likely need to mark that the injury occurred at work on their various medical forms.

Report The Injury To Your Employer
If you have been injured at work, it's important to make sure your employer or HR manager is aware of the incident. Even if the accident and your injuries seem minor now, it should still be reported. A small strain now could evolve into a serious sprain down the road. If related issues arise down the road, you will have better luck pursuing compensation if you have documentation of the initial injury.

Report All Accidents To Your Employer
Just as it is important to report all injuries to your employer, you should also report every accident that occurs - even if no one was injured. Just as minor injuries could prove to be more serious at a later date, injuries could eventually appear that were previously unknown altogether. Even if no one was hurt, reporting the accident can alert your employer to the potential danger and motivate them to increase safety procedures before someone does get injured.

Seek Legal Representation If Necessary
If you run into challenges pursuing your workers' compensation claim, don't be afraid to seek assistance from a workman's compensation attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks. Examples of when you may wish to seek legal counsel can include (but are not limited to):

Your employer is threatening to terminate your position if you file a workers' compensation claim.
Your employer does not have a workers' compensation policy.
Your settlement does not cover the full extent of your damages.
It has been months since your initial claim, and your settlement still has not come through.

Gibbons Law Firm Will Be Here To Defend Your Rights

Just as employers have a legal responsibility to keep their employees safe, employees often have a right to compensation in the event that an injury does occur. Only in rare cases (such as those where drugs or alcohol were involved) may the employee not be eligible for compensation under Missouri's workman's comp laws.

Having successfully tried hundreds of cases, Roger Gibbons has the experience and resources to give you an opportunity for a successful outcome on your personal injury case. Find out more about how we can assist you by contacting our personal injury firm in Osage Beach MO and making an appointment today. Your initial consultation is always free.

Your Trusted Legal Resource

Gibbons Law Firm

4075 Osage Beach Parkway, Suite 300

Osage Beach, MO 65065

(573) 348-2211

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No attorney-client relationship is created by the publication of this blog.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Navigating Your Workers' Compensation Case

Recovering from a personal injury is rarely easy, especially if the injury was serious. In addition to the physical challenges and setbacks the victim may face, he/she must often also face additional challenges such as missed time from work, steep medical bills, grueling physical therapy, and reduced quality of life. If the accident occurred at work, he/she may also experience resentment towards their place of employment and uncertainty over how to proceed.

Workers' compensation cases are some of the most complex cases in the personal injury field. If you have been injured at work, retaining a personal injury attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks to represent your case may be enormously beneficial. Today, Gibbons Law Firm is here to help you understand some of the unique complexities and intricacies revolving around workplace injuries.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately
If you have been injured at work, the most important thing you can do is seek medical attention for your injuries immediately. Caring for your physical well-being is the most critical step. Once your immediate needs have been met, you can work on obtaining compensation for your accident. While you are in the hospital, however, make sure to inform all the medical staff that your injuries are the result of a work-related incident (for insurance purposes).

Report Your Injury To Your Boss Immediately
If their injuries are minor, some people may elect not to inform their manager or supervisor about the incident. Don't make this mistake. Though your injuries may seem minor now, it is impossible to predict how they may evolve (or what other issues may reveal themselves) as time passes. The best strategy is always to report the injury immediately, even if you don't have to file a workers' compensation claim at that time.

Your Boss Cannot Fire You For Filing For Workers' Compensation
Some employees refrain from filing for workers' compensation because they are afraid of the consequences, fearing that they may risk losing their position or facing other forms of retaliation from their boss/coworkers. However, it is important to realize your boss and coworkers are legally prohibited from taking such adverse actions. If you do suffer any of these adverse consequences, you will most likely have legal resources to defend your position.

Hiring A Workers' Compensation Attorney May Help You Get More Money
Workman's compensation is a type of insurance specifically designed to compensate employees who are injured at work through no fault of their own. Like all types of insurance, however, the providers are often reluctant to pay out large dividends to injured workers. Employees often find that the compensation they receive is rather minimal, if it is approved at all. For this reason, we encourage you to contact our workers' compensation attorney in Osage Beach if you should ever find yourself faced with a work-related injury. With an experienced attorney on your side, your chances of receiving adequate compensation will greatly increase.

If you are looking for a personal injury lawyer at the Lake of the Ozarks, we would love to talk with you. We generally represent all personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we do not charge for our services unless we win your case. This allows our clients to seek out the representation they need without stressing about covering their legal fees in addition to their medical ones. Visit our website or call our firm at 573-348-2211 to learn more about our personal injury services at the Lake of the Ozarks.