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West Virginia Workers Compensation Lawyer

Call (888) 966-9241 to speak with a workers compensation attorney.

According to the U.S Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 4.5 million injuries and illnesses are reported in private industry workplaces each year. This means that roughly five workers per 100 full-time workers are injured at work or become ill in the workplace each year. In this country, certain work laws exist that are designed to guarantee that workers who are injured in the workplace will receive set (and permanent) financial awards. This is intended to obviate the need to hammer out a claim in court.

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 in exchange for the employee's right to sue their employer for negligence. Plans vary according to jurisdictions, though they can be made for 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 or general damages for pain and suffering.

Unfortunately, in some cases, a company or private employer will try to test these laws and attempt to pay an injured employee less than fair compensation for their injuries, pain, and suffering. In such a case, the injured employee should contact a worker's compensation lawyer or attorney for help.

In the state of West Virginia, workers' compensation is compulsory, and the waiting period for compensation benefits after injury is three days. Waivers are not permitted, and there are no numerical exceptions. The employee makes the initial choice of their physician, and compensation is retroactive if the disability continues for more than seven days. This may sound simple enough, but workers' compensation laws can be complex, and many of these laws and policies are subject to amendment at any time. Fortunately, a workers' compensation lawyer or attorney will be well-versed in West Virginia's current workers' compensation laws, and they will have the knowledge needed to work with insurance agencies, your employer, and the courts on your behalf. Attorneys' fees that are permitted are limited to 20% of the claimant's or dependent's award, a 208-week limit.

While an experienced and successful West Virginia 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 their services.

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 workers' 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 workers' compensation lawyer and attorney profiles in each specific city and state. Access to the site and profiles is absolutely free.

It's important to choose a workers' compensation lawyer that is right for you in order to ensure that you get the fair amount of compensation from the claim. While dealing with an injury a person needs time to try to recover and deal with the underlying emotional issues associated with it, and a workers' compensation can help to take care of the stress of figuring out the law, and can help you out financially.