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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

Three Situations In Which You May Qualify For Loss Of Earnings Benefits As Part Of Your Workers Compensation Settlement

by Lillian Wheeler

Most states have laws that require workers' compensation insurance companies to compensate accident victims whose injuries cause loss of earnings. If your state has such a provision, then you may be able to get the benefits under these conditions (among others):

You Have Returned to Work at A Lower Wage

There are many reasons a worker may be paid lower earnings after an injury. For example, you may not qualify for full earnings if you haven't healed completely and can't work at your pre-injury rate. Or maybe you have lost a limb that was necessary for your work, and your productivity has taken a hit. Whatever the cause of your lower earnings, you should be compensated for it if your state has such a provision in its laws.

You Had Multiple Jobs, but Can't Perform One Now

The law recognizes that many people hold multiple jobs, so your earnings are taken as the summation of your earnings from all jobs. If you have multiple jobs, an injury may prevent you from doing some of them but not all of them. In that case, you should be compensated for your loss of earning power because your total earnings have taken a dip. Note that this should be the case even if the job you can't do now is not the one that got you injured. For example, if you are a teacher who also drives for uber in their free time, you deserve the loss of earning power benefits if you get injured in school and can't drive anymore.

You Have to Work Shorter Hours

Some injuries allow you to work at your full potential, but for reduced hours. For example, if surgery was part of your treatment, your doctor may advise you to get plenty of bed rest or work shorter hours so as not to overexert your organs. If you were working for eight hours before the accident, you may be restricted to a four-hour workday. In such a case, your employer is within their legal rights to pay you only for the actual hours worked, which means your earnings will take a hit. Therefore, worker's compensation should give you the loss of earning power benefits.

Even if your state pays loss of earning power benefits, you need to prove that your injuries have actually impacted your earnings to get the benefits. A workers compensation lawyer, such as Gieg Law Offices, can help you get the proof.

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