Is Your Injury or Illness Work Related?

As you start a new year on the job, you’re likely already planning for your paid vacation time and hoping not to max out your sick leave. But that paid time off can often slip by much faster than we expect, especially after an injury or sickness leaves you unable to work for days or even weeks.

It’s important to understand your rights when you’re missing work due to sickness or injury. One of the most important questions to consider is whether or not that injury or illness may have resulted from work or during your time at work. Though most of us understand that a fall at work or an injury from factory equipment may entitle us to compensation, there are myriad other circumstances that also qualify for workers’ compensation.

For example, did you know that emotional trauma experienced at work due to harassment or increased hours and expectations may qualify you for compensation? So, if you’ve experienced stress-related illnesses or sought the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist due to emotional trauma from work, your employer may owe you compensation. That means that everything from the doctor’s bills to your wages for missed days of work, and even the mileage expenses you incurred while driving to the doctor, may be reimbursed by your employer.

That said, many people with valid injury claims, even from the more straightforward injuries, will not receive benefits that they deserve because their companies’ lawyers will make claims such as: the injury did not happen on the job, the illness was not work-related, the injury was a pre-existing condition, or the employee did not give notice of the injury.

To ensure that you receive the benefits that you deserve, it’s important to speak with a lawyer. Whether you’ve experienced an injury at work, or missed days for mental health or other issues and are unsure if that is related to work, speak with a lawyer right away about your rights. The Hodge & Langley Law Firm offers a free initial consultation to help you understand your workers’ compensation rights. If we represent you, we will defend you against the company’s claims and work to ensure that you receive money to cover medical expenses, missed work, and even missed future work.