Are There Any Downsides To A Full And Final Settlement? What If My Injuries Resurface Or Get Worse Down The Line?

If you accept a full and final settlement or a lump sum settlement, you will be required to pay for all of your medical treatments in the future. When deciding to take a full and final settlement or a lump sum, it’s very important that you have an idea of any possible treatments in the future. For example, people often decide to settle their claim prior to going through the full process without knowing the severity of their injury. They accept a settlement that looks good at the time, but two or three years later, they end up needing surgery. Unfortunately, they settled before finding out the true severity of their injury. Thus, the settlement did not include money for any future surgery.

Should I Hire An Attorney Right Away After An Injury Or Should I Wait To See If My Claim Is Denied?

After an injury, it is advised to hire an attorney from the beginning. Even if you go through the right steps of reporting your injury immediately and are sent to the doctor, a lot of times you are sent to a doctor that’s at an industrial work clinic. Most of the time, those doctors are more concerned with keeping their contract with the employers and insurance companies than making sure you get all of the treatments necessary. As a result, these doctors might release you to work before you’re physically ready. They may not recommend the right treatments that would help you. Insurance Companies will deny treatments saying that they are not medically necessary, even if the doctor says they are. If you don’t have an attorney, you won’t know how to properly appeal those denials.

Sometimes, it is requisite to go to a Qualified Medical Examiner (QME). Without the assistance of an attorney, you may end up going to one that leans heavily towards the employer’s side. Having an attorney doesn’t guarantee that this won’t happen since it is a random list that you’re provided, but it can lessen the chance of choosing the wrong doctor. Also, insurance companies often try to get you to settle early without going to a QME based on a final report written by the doctor at the industrial clinic. Industrial doctors will do everything they can to justify giving you a lower disability percentage, which can result in no compensation or in a lesser amount than you’re entitled to receive for your injury.

What Are The Risks When People Try To Do A Workers’ Comp Case Without Having An Experienced Attorney By Their Side?

A lot of people who decide to handle their workers’ compensation claim first, eventually end up hiring an attorney. Some of the reasons that lead to hiring an attorney is when treatments get denied, treatments aren’t being recommended as quickly, and doctors are delaying certain treatments. That can have a big effect on temporary disability payments because you can only receive payments for 104 weeks (2 years). Unjust claims adjusters can use these tactics to make it difficult to purse your claim.

What Would You Say Sets Your Firm Apart In Handling Workers’ Compensation Cases?

What sets Scott Law Firm, PC apart is accessibility. I make myself accessible to every client. You will not have to wait weeks for someone to return a phone call or reply to an email. You will not experience roadblocks if you want to talk to me. A lot of my clients have my personal cellphone number. Many attorneys do not give out their cellphone numbers to their clients. As simple as this sounds I would say that being available is one of the biggest things that sets my firm apart. Attorneys can forget that we work for our clients and it is a privilege to have someone place their trust in you to help them through a difficult period in their life.

For more information on Workers’ Compensation Cases In California, a free case evaluation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (866) 967-8691 today.