Protecting Your Family After A Work Injury

If you are injured at work, odds are you’re not only worried about how the injury will affect you, but how it will affect your family’s well being. Nobody wants to leave their family in a worse position as a result of a work injury, and you don’t need to as long as you take some smart steps following your accident. In today’s blog, we share some tips for protecting your family’s best interests if you suffer an on-the-job injury.

Helping Your Family After A Work Injury

Every family is different, but if you keep these tips in mind, we’re confident that you’ll be putting your family in a better position than most in the wake of a work accident:

1. Report The Injury – Your first instinct may be to downplay the injury so that you can continue working and earning a paycheck. While that is admirable, it’s the wrong mindset to have for a number of reasons. For starters, if you don’t report an injury in a timely manner, you may never be able to file for injury compensation. Additionally, if the injury gets worse or leads to a different health issue, you may find trouble collecting compensation for your injuries. Don’t jeopardize your family’s financial security by potentially having to pay for current and future medical bills out of your own pocket because you didn’t report the injury when it occurred.

2. Connect With A Lawyer – One of the main reasons why many people opt not to move forward with a workers’ compensation claim is because they don’t want to deal with the hassle and the complexities of filing a claim. By connecting with a lawyer, you know that you have an ally in your corner who will manage everything related to your case while you focus on your health and your family. Best of all, you’re not going to face any upfront fees or end up losing money because you file a claim. Injury lawyers work on a contingent basis, meaning they only get paid a small percentage of your claim award in the event you win. There’s no downside to taking a free consultation with an injury lawyer and talking with them to see if you have a legitimate claim. We’ll do all the heavy lifting to get you the compensation you deserve.

3. Consider All Benefits – Workers’ compensation is more than just payments for medical bills and lost wages. There are a number of other services you can apply for if you are injured on the job. You may be eligible for things like replacement services or retraining benefits in the event that you may need to transition to a new job as a result of your injuries. Talk with your lawyer and see if there are other benefits that can ensure you can take care of yourself and your family after a work injury.

4. Don’t Rush The Process – We understand that you want to put an end to your claim as quickly as possible to get the compensation you’re owed, but don’t rush the process. Being in a rush to agree to a settlement can leave tens of thousands of dollars or more on the table. Don’t hurt your family’s long-term financial situation by rushing to settle. Make sure all current and future concerns are addressed in any settlement before signing on the dotted line.

At the end of the day, the vast majority of the time it is in your best interest and your family’s best interest to report your work injury and start the process of an injury claim. Employees are a protected class in Minnesota, and this is exactly why your employer pays a monthly or yearly premium for workers’ compensation insurance. You’re not putting your employer in a bad spot by filing a claim, but you could be putting your family in a rough spot by forgoing a claim. Take a meeting with a workers’ compensation lawyer, bring your spouse, and let’s figure out how to make the best out of a bad situation.

For more information, or to set up one of those free case reviews, give Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm a call today at (952) 230-2700.