In 2014, 4821 workers were killed on the job and almost 3 million suffered from an injury or illness at work. Accidents at work are very much possible so one should always stay vigilant and careful while performing all kinds of tasks. If you’ve experienced an incident, the foremost thing to do is to file a claim with the help of a Duluth personal injury attorney.
When you file a personal injury claim, there are a number of things which can go wrong and affect the amount of the compensation. In most of the cases, there are a few common factors which are responsible for the size of your compensation. We provide you with the most prevalent reasons why your injury compensation is reduced:
Legal Advice
For most of the plaintiffs, they encounter this process 1 or 2 times in their lives. When you are trying to get compensation for your injury, you are actually claiming against an insurance company. These companies hire special insurance law firms which specialize in dealing with such claims. If you don’t have proper legal advice, you face a definite disadvantage against them.
While filing a claim, you must have the best Duluth personal injury attorney by your side who is experienced, knowledgeable, and has enough resources. Look for someone who has already handled hundreds of cases in the past and is very much familiar with the steps he needs to follow. If you work without an attorney or hire someone who is less experienced, he will spend most of the time in researching and will not be able to give you prompt legal advice.
Incomplete Evidence
After an incident occurs, it is the duty of the attorney hired by you to try his best to collect maximum evidence. If the evidence gathered by him is not sufficient or incomplete, your case will be prolonged and there are chances that either you will get low compensation or not any at all. This is the reason that it is essential to hire an experienced attorney who knows how and where to look for possible evidence.
Moreover, it is the duty of the plaintiff not to hide any information and present the complete account in front of the doctor and the lawyer. There are plenty of times when a plaintiff informs about his physical injuries but ignores the psychological impact which the injury had on him. It is unfortunate that this happens because of the lack of awareness but a good personal injury attorney in Duluth will advise the employee accordingly.
Seeing the Doctor Late or Missing an Appointment
It is very important to rush to your nearest medical facility as soon as you encounter an injury at work. If you delay going to a doctor, this might even deprive you of the entire compensation. Also, inform the doctor about each and every body part which was injured as you performed a task while at work. For example, slight pain in the knee can become unbearable after a month, so don’t ignore it.
Never ever miss an appointment or put a gap during the treatment because the opposing side can tactfully use it against you. If your medical records show that you have missed or canceled the appointments or put lengthy gaps between the visits, then all this will weaken your case.
Not Disclosing Your Past Claims or Injuries
Insurance companies have access to databases where all your previous claims will be entered. Since the insurer and its lawyer will know about those claims, it is essential that so does your lawyer. It is very important to give him complete information so that he can build a strong case based on it. Any loophole in the information and you will be at the suffering side.
Even the previous medical records can be obtained from the medical facilities so if you have encountered a similar or different injury before, you should inform about it to both your lawyer and the doctor. For example, if you sprained your ankle in this accident and had previously visited the doctor for ankle pain, it is imperative to pass on this information.
Conclusion
If you hire a good compensation lawyer, he will advise you to a proper course of actions. He will ensure that you have taken all the necessary steps prior to the statutory limitation period. Without letting you make any mistakes and causing any delay in the treatment and the compensation process, he will ensure that you get the rightful amount of the claim.
You should also stay very truthful and vigilant so that you are able to follow the instructions of the Duluth personal injury attorney. This will enable you to have a strong stance in front of the insurer and his lawyer.
