If you were injured on the job in Mansfield, OH, it’s important to understand your legal rights. Workers’ compensation provides important benefits to injured employees. However, getting the full benefits you deserve can be complicated.
An experienced Mansfield workers’ compensation lawyer at Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers can help you fight for every dollar you deserve.
Our lawyers are prepared to help you recover full compensation for your injuries. Contact our law office in Mansfield, Ohio or call us at (419) 910-2605 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Can Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers Help With a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Mansfield?
The time after a workplace injury can be chaotic and stressful. You know you have the right to workers’ compensation benefits. Getting money in your pocket can be more challenging than you might initially think.
At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, we have over 181 years of combined experience handling complicated injury claims. We’ve put our experience to good work and recovered over $100 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of our injured clients.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers in Mansfield, Ohio can handle the legal issues while you recover. Our team has been rated by Super Lawyers and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
When you trust us to handle your legal representation, we will:
- Carefully investigate your workplace injury claim
- Handle the paperwork, legal filings, and insurance details
- Explore every legal option for recovering full compensation
- Determine how much money you deserve–and fight for every dollar
- Represent you at any hearings and protect you if your claim is denied
- Work with experts who can prove your case
- Protect you if your rights are being violated
It’s never too early to learn about your legal rights. If you have questions, contact our Mansfield workers’ compensation attorneys for a free case review today. You’ll never have to worry about upfront fees.
How Common Are Workplace Accidents in Ohio?
Any workplace can become dangerous. Across Ohio, employers reported 84,800 non-fatal workplace injuries in a recent year.
Not all of these injuries occurred in industries that are traditionally considered dangerous, like construction or extraction. The two industries with the highest rates of workplace injuries in a recent year were “trade, transportation, and utilities” and “education and health services.”
Our lawyers in Mansfield handle all types of work-related injury claims, including those involving:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Fires
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Accidents where a worker is struck by a falling object
- Falls from heights
- Scaffolding accidents
- Accidents involving forklifts, cranes, and heavy machinery
- Landscaping accidents
- Agricultural accidents
- Nail gun accidents
- Accidents where a worker is caught between objects
- Electrocution
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Heavy lifting
Regardless of how you were injured, our attorneys are prepared to stand up and help you fight for a fair deal. Call our law firm today to learn more about your legal options.
Overview of Ohio Workers’ Compensation Laws
Most employers in Ohio are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Work-related accidents are extremely common. With workers’ compensation, the injured worker doesn’t have to file a lawsuit and prove negligence to receive financial compensation.
Instead, injured workers are entitled to benefits if:
- They were injured (or developed an illness) in the course of employment, while doing something work-related
- They were classified as an employee
- The injuries weren’t intentionally inflicted
If you meet the criteria above, you’re likely entitled to workers’ compensation regardless of who caused your injuries. Workers’ compensation helps offset the financial costs of an injury. You can receive income replacement benefits if you’re unable to work. Workers’ compensation will also cover your medical expenses.
Why Hire a Lawyer to Help With My Mansfield Workers’ Compensation Claim?
A basic overview of workers’ compensation laws can make the system seem extremely simple. In reality, employers often face challenges when it comes to getting fair benefits.
A lawyer can help if:
- The workers’ compensation board is undervaluing your benefits
- Your doctors are pushing you to return to work before you’ve recovered
- Your employer claims your injuries weren’t work-related
- Your employer retaliates against you for claiming workers’ compensation
- Your employer unfairly tries to misclassify you as an independent contractor
- The insurance company finds an error in your paperwork
Getting fair benefits can be a challenge–especially in cases involving severe injuries or dangerous medical conditions. Hiring a lawyer can help you maximize the value of your claim so you have the resources you need as you recover.
What is My Mansfield Workers’ Compensation Case Worth?
Workers’ compensation covers roughly 72% of your wages prior to the disability. Once you’ve been disabled for at least 12 weeks, your benefits are recalculated. You’ll receive about two-thirds of your prior earnings. The calculation is based on your average wages for the 52 weeks prior to the disability.
So, your case value depends primarily on your earnings prior to the disability and the length of your recovery period. It’s also important to consider whether you remain impaired even after recovering to the extent possible.
What Types of Benefits Are Under Ohio Workers’ Compensation Laws?
Workers’ compensation provides benefits that are similar to economic damages in a personal injury lawsuit.
Key types of benefits include:
Wage Replacement Benefits
Your disability benefits will depend on the nature of your injuries and how they impact your ability to work. You must be disabled for at least seven days to receive disability benefits. If your recovery period reaches 14 days, you’ll be paid retroactively for the first week of disability.
Your disability benefits might include:
- Temporary total compensation benefits if you’re entirely unable to work during recovery
- Wage loss benefits if your earnings are reduced due to work restrictions during recovery
- Permanent partial disability benefits if you remain impaired after reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI)
- Permanent total disability benefits if you’re unable to work again
- Lump sum settlements
- Compensation if you’re required to change occupations due to the disability
- Living maintenance benefits if you’re in an approved rehab program
Workers’ compensation also provides death benefits to surviving dependents in fatal workplace injury cases.
Medical Treatment Benefits
Workers’ compensation should cover all your medical bills. That includes ER visits, hospitalization, surgeries, follow-up visits, medications, and more. However, you must see a medical provider who is approved by the workers’ compensation board. If you require emergency care, you can see any ER doctor, and workers’ compensation will cover it.
An experienced Mansfield workers’ compensation attorney will advise you on how to document all of your damages to ensure you are fully compensated.
Can I File a Lawsuit for Additional Damages in Ohio?
Sometimes. Your right to sue for damages depends on who caused your injuries. You cannot sue your employer if you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits. However, you may have the right to sue a third party who was somehow responsible for your injuries.
Damages in a personal injury case compensate for any loss you suffer due to the disability, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Non-economic damages, or “pain and suffering” damages
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium and other damages for wrongful death
Don’t hesitate to reach out for legal advice. Our lawyers can help you determine who caused your injuries and whether you have a valid personal injury case.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Ohio?
Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers works on a contingency fee basis. Like most personal injury law firms, we only charge attorneys’ fees if we recover compensation in your case.
Once your case is resolved, we take a percentage of the compensation we recover for you. If we do not recover damages, you owe us nothing.
Can I Receive Workers’ Compensation Benefits If I’m Being Blamed for a Work-Related Accident in Ohio?
Yes. Workers’ compensation benefits are not impacted by Ohio’s comparative negligence law. You can receive your full workers’ compensation benefits even if you were responsible for your injuries.
However, the comparative negligence standard applies if you sue any third parties. You can only lose your right to damages in a personal injury case if your share of fault was at least 51%. If your percentage of fault was 20%, you will be able to recover 80% of your damages.
Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Mansfield Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Workplace Accident Injuries
Our team handles all types of work injury claims, including cases involving:
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Knee and leg injuries
- Concussions
- Dislocations
- Shoulder injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Nerve damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Hearing damage
- Organ damage
- Eye injuries
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
If you have any questions about your legal rights after a workplace accident, call us today. Our Mansfield workers’ compensation attorneys can help at any stage of the claims process.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim for Workers’ Compensation After a Workplace Accident in Ohio?
To start the claims process, you must notify your employer. You should notify your employer as quickly as possible. You generally have one year from the date of an injury or diagnosis to file the formal workers’ compensation claim.
However, if you decide to sue a third party, then you have two years from the date of the accident to sue the other party.
Contact a Trusted Mansfield Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
Workplace injury claims can be overwhelming. You deserve an experienced Mansfield workers’ compensation lawyer in your corner. If you or a family member were hurt, call Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers to get help with your workers’ compensation claim today.