Don’t Sign Those Papers Without a Lawyer!

Ok, you got hurt at work, reported the injury to your employer, but now the insurance company has mailed you documents they say you must immediately sign to settle your case! You need a Sonoma County workers comp lawyer to discuss your case in detail and advise you how best to proceed. 

Have you been informed of your right to select a new primary treating physician? Most injured workers wind up at a ‘doc in the box’ clinic run by the employer and receive minimal treatment because it’s cheaper for the insurance company. A work injury lawyer can help explain your medical treatment rights and help you select the best available doctor for you.

Have all of your injured body parts and systems been treated? Too often the employer’s doctor ignores your complaints of pain in any areas not ‘approved’ by the claims adjuster. A work injury specialist attorney can develop the evidence and take your case to trial before a judge for an order that the insurance company cover those other parts. An example here is the service technician who falls from a ladder breaking a leg and injuring the back. The emergency room treatment is likely to repair the broken leg and delay the back treatment often resulting in poor documentation of the back pain. The result is often that the insurance company denies the need for treatment to the back when the back becomes painful after the medicines for the broken leg wear off. A work comp lawyer on your side can develop the medical record to show that the back also needs treatment.

Have you developed problems with side-effects from medication for your work injury? The chances are the insurance company won’t tell you that those problems may entitle you to additional compensation. These side-effects should be properly evaluated before you accept any settlement.

Have you seen a Qualified Medical Evaluator for a special examination and report on your disability rating and need for future medical care? Have all injured body parts and systems been examined and your disabilities been accurately rated? At the Law Offices of Marc Francis we can help in selecting the examining doctor, ensuring that the doctor has complete medical records to evaluate you, and seeing that the Qualified Medical Evaluator’s report fairly and accurately discussed your work injury and need for benefits. 

If necessary the Law Offices of Marc Francis will take your case to trial before a Workers Compensation Judge at the Workers Compensation Appeals Board to get an order for your benefits. 

And what are the legal effects of all those papers the insurance company wants you to sign? Even lawyers in other areas of law find workers’ compensation law to be confusing and complicated! You need a Sonoma County workers comp lawyer to evaluate your case and advise you how best to proceed before signing anything.