Employers in Atlantic City, NJ are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance for employees, which protects both employer and employee in the event that an injury happens while on the job. Workers’ compensation insurance ensures that the employee will be paid for damages that they suffer as a result of their injury and protects the employer from having to pay for it. While workers’ compensation insurance is often beneficial for people who have been injured while working, workers’ compensation insurance companies occasionally deny injured employees the complete package of benefits that they deserve.
People who have been injured while working on the job in Atlantic City are encouraged to seek the assistance of Atlantic City on the job injury attorney Joseph Lombardo. Due to years of experience fighting for Atlantic City, NJ residents who have suffered injuries at work, Joseph Lombardo is able to secure compensation for injured employees. Contact the Lombardo Law Group, LLC, to learn more about how you can schedule a free and confidential consultation; call (609) 445-4300 today.
Qualifying for Workers’ Comp Benefits After an On the Job Injury in Atlantic City
To receive benefits through a workers’ compensation claim, employees must meet a few specific criteria:
- The injury must have been suffered by an employee who receives a standard paycheck that has taxes deducted each month
- The injury must have occurred while they were working
- The injury must have been serious enough to require more than simple first aid
Generally, the injury that an employee suffers while on the job must be severe. There are two types of injuries that employees can suffer on the job that will make them eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits; one type of injury is those that happen because of sudden events. The other type of injury that qualifies employees to receive workers’ compensation benefits is injuries that happen over time. In some cases, the employee is eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits if their injury accelerates or aggravates a condition that they already have.
Injuries that happen because of sudden events are those that happen as a result of an isolated incident, such as a fall, explosion, or collision. This type of injury most frequently happens with jobs that require physical labor, such as those in the construction and manufacturing industries. Injuries that happen as a result of sudden events include broken bones, amputations, burns, brain injuries, disfigurement, and more.
Injuries that happen over an extended period of time are those that come from exposure to dangerous materials or from making the same motion over and over again. This type of injury may include respiratory problems from breathing in contaminants in the air, or it may be carpal tunnel or joint problems resulting from repeated actions. Employees that have suffered injuries in the workplace should note that this type of injury is difficult to file a claim for because it is difficult to prove that an injury resulted from work over time.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Employees Can Receive in Atlantic City
Employees that have been injured while on the job in Atlantic City are able to reap certain benefits through workers’ compensation insurance claims. These benefits include:
- Medical bills – Workers’ compensation insurance companies are required to provide medical treatment to workers that have suffered injuries in the workplace. Medical treatment covered in a workers’ compensation claim may include visits to doctors, stays in the hospital, medical equipment, physical therapy, and medication. Employers do reserve the right to choose the physician that the employee will visit.
- Lost wages – Depending on the severity of the injury, the injured employee may be able to receive compensation for the wages that they lost while unable to work. If the employee is unable to work for more than seven days but will be able to return to work after they recover, they will be able to receive temporary total disability benefits, which will allow them to receive 70% of their average weekly wage. There are, additionally, caps placed on the maximum amount of wages an injured employee is able to receive. If the employee is unable to return to work for an extended period of time, then they may be able to receive permanent total benefits, which last for 450 weeks with the possibility of an extension.
- Death benefits – Families of employees that die while on the job are able to recover death benefits through a worker’s compensation insurance claim, which will include the cost of the funeral and a large fraction of their weekly wages.
It should be noted that workers’ compensation insurance claims do not include compensation for pain and suffering. They also do not provide compensation for wages that will be lost in the future, nor do they include compensation for the loss of an opportunity for advancement.
Experienced Attorney for On the Job Injuries in Atlantic City
People that are preparing to file a workers’ compensation insurance claim or that are seeking help following unfair compensation from an insurance company should contact the Lombardo Law Group, LLC, at their earliest convenience. Atlantic City on the job injury attorney Joseph Lombardo is prepared to fight to get injured clients what they deserve. Contact Joseph Lombardo today by calling (609) 445-4300.
