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Utah Workers Compensation Lawyer

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More than 4.5 million injuries and illnesses are reported in private industry workplaces each year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. In other words, for every 100 full-time workers, roughly five are injured at work or become ill in the workplace as a result of the working conditions. Yet state laws guarantee that workers who are injured on the job will be able to receive financial compensation. This is in order to prevent these cases from going to court, and thereby to ease the burden on an already overloaded court system. It also guarantees the employee an income during the period of his or her recuperation.

In some cases, however, a company or private employer will try to test these laws by attempting to pay an injured employee less than what they deserve for their injuries, their pain, and their suffering or by denying the claim altogether. If this has happened to you, or even if you think it might happen when you file a claim, you should contact a workers' compensation attorney for help.

Workers' compensation is a type of insurance that accommodates employees who need compensation for medical care due to an injury during the course of work. It is provided to most employees, in exchange for the employee's right to sue their employer for negligence. Workers' compensation benefits will vary according to the jurisdiction in which the accident, injury or illness was sustained. Some typical options for workers' compensation insurance, however, include weekly payments instead of wages as a type of disability insurance, compensation for past and future economic losses, the payment or reimbursement of the medical expenses as a type of health insurance, and benefits payable to the depends of workers who were killed as a type of life insurance. Not included in workers' compensation plans are punitive damages for employer negligence and general damages for pain and suffering. If the worker wishes to pursue these kinds of damages, they must do so in a civil case against the employer.

Workers' compensation is compulsory in the state of Utah. The waiting period for compensation benefits after injury is three days. Wavers are not permitted, and there are no numerical exceptions. The employer makes the selection of the choice of physician, while the employee can make one choice of a physician after seeing the employer's. Compensation is retroactive if the disability continues for more than 14 days. Workers' compensation laws can be complex, and many of these laws and policies are subject to amendment at any time. Fortunately, a worker's compensation lawyer will be highly knowledgeable about Utah's current worker's compensation laws, and will therefore be able to work with insurance agencies, your employer, and the courts on your behalf. Attorneys' fees that are permitted in Utah are 20% for the first $15,000, 15% for the next $15,000, and a 10% balance, with a maximum of $10,850.

While an experienced and successful Utah workers' compensation lawyer or attorney can help you file and win your claim, the lawyer overseeing your claim will have to be compensated as well for his services. Currently, in the state of Utah, the following attorney's fees are permitted: 20% of the first $15,000, 15% of the next $15,000, and 10% of the balance, with a maximum of $10,850.

If you or someone you know has been injured at work, and you want to learn more about your legal rights, contact a worker's compensation lawyer or attorney today. You can find a worker's compensation lawyer by visiting the American Bar Association website. The American Bar Association website features a lawyer locator function which allows the user to search through worker's compensation attorney profiles in each specific city and state. Access to the site and profiles is absolutely free.