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Coping With Legal Issues

When I started getting into trouble I became pretty acclimated to legal procedures. Calling my attorney and working out bail was just another way to spend a Saturday night. Unfortunately, the stiffer the charges, the more difficult it was to talk my way out of a bad situation. After so many charges, I found myself slapped with a long jail sentence, and I realized that I wanted to turn things around. Fortunately, my lawyer was able to walk me through yet another process, so that I could make the right changes. My blog discusses how to emotionally cope with legal issues so that you can start living a good life.

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Coping With Legal Issues

The Highs And Woes Of Workers' Comp: How To Keep Your Benefits Coming, No Matter What

by Lillian Wheeler

The process of obtaining workers' compensation benefits has many highs and lows, but once you have those payments coming, you want to do everything you can to keep them. While the lows and woes may outnumber the highs, if you can't keep your life and the paperwork in order, you risk losing the benefits and, at best, going back to square one. Since you don't want to ever be disqualified, you need to be aware of the possible foul-ups that could cost you the benefits you're so desperately dependent on.

Never Put On An Act For Doctors

It's natural to want to exaggerate your symptoms if you fear your complaints will fall on deaf ears; however, misrepresenting your physical condition can quickly result in a loss of all benefits. Be honest with everyone, including the doctors, and curb your fears by discussing them with a workers' compensation attorney. They'll reassure you that, yes, you're entitled to benefits, and, no, you don't have to overplay the injury to receive those benefits.

Keep in mind, too, that the insurance company has investigators working for them who may observe you at odd times, such as when you're home or around town. If they see you doing anything you're not supposed to be able to do or that your doctor has advised against, your case could be compromised. 

Don't Outright Refuse Light-Duty Work Your Employer May Offer

If you are able to do some light work that won't aggravate your injury and your employer offers it, don't hesitate to take it. First, check with your lawyer to make sure you're following all procedures properly, then make the effort to complete the work during the assigned hours. If after making the attempt (to work), your injury feels worse, immediately inform your physician and get a checkup. It's acceptable if you're unable to complete the light-duty work, but that decision must involve your doctor, including a written opinion or order. Your workers' comp attorney can help you meet all the obligations needed to demonstrate your inability to do even light-duty work.

Avoid Jeopardizing Your Job Status For Any Reason

No matter how frustrated you may feel about your employer or the conditions which led to you being injured, it's crucial that you maintain your status of employment. If you resign from your position, for whatever reason, the insurance company is no longer responsible for wages you have lost as a result of your injury. Don't risk this technical foul of workers' compensation, even if you harbor resentment towards the company or your boss. Nearly everyone has difficult people in their lives, so learn to deal with them rather than risking the loss of your right to compensation.

Prevent Gaps In Medical Treatment

If you stop seeing your doctor for any time and then return for treatment, they may have no way of determining if your new aches, pains, and problems are a result of your claim-related injury or something else that's happened to you; therefore, you must continue seeing your doctor without any major time gaps between appointments.

Always Listen To Your Lawyer

Going through the process of obtaining your benefits is exhausting and may make you feel more like a child in time out than an adult trying to navigate the system, but at no point should you allow yourself to give in to your feelings of frustration. That means abiding by what your attorney advises, even if you disagree with them. Dotting all those I's and crossing all those T's is, indeed, a laborious and exasperating ordeal; however, your benefits depend on you submitting to and complying with the regulations that govern them. Trust that your lawyer knows what they're doing and has your best interests in mind.

Being out of work is like being on an emotional roller coaster, even if you have benefit payments coming in, because you always seem to feel precarious. Protect your rights, and your payments, by staying on the straight and narrow, advocating for yourself at every turn, and keeping in constant contact with your workers' compensation attorney.

For more information, reach out to a law firm such as Gilbert, Blaszcyk & Milburn LLP.

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