Sioux City Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
Managing Difficult Workers’ Comp Claims
Injured workers from all industries deserve a chance to rest and relax after an accident, so they can get back on their feet sooner than later. Workers’ compensation insurance and its benefits are meant to do just that. Yet it is not always simple to get workers’ comp benefits when you need them. Many injured workers have their claims denied outright when they are filed, and it is rarely clear why.
If you want to file for workers’ compensation in Sioux City, then you should start by coming to LaMarca Law Group, P.C. Our workers’ compensation lawyers are honored to be trusted by workers from all backgrounds and walks of life. We know the importance of upholding the rights of the worker, including new hires in small companies, industry veterans, and company executives.
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Learn more about workers’ comp benefits and how to get them. Dial (515) 705-0233today.
We Protect Workers from All Industries
For every worker in Sioux City, there is an ally in LaMarca Law Group, P.C. No matter your career path or how long you have been down it, if you are owed workers’ compensation after a work-related accident, then we want to be the team to make sure you get it. This is a tenant of our law firm, and we would like to show it in action by offering our counsel and representation.
Let us know if you work in any of these industries and more:
- Law enforcement: Police officers are placed in dangerous and stressful situations nearly every day. If you were hurt in the line of duty, then we would be honored to help you explore your options and seek workers’ compensation, which might mean working with your police union.
- Firefighting: The average day for a firefighter is stressful and hectic. Even if there are no calls to extinguish a fire, there will probably be calls to help someone in another form of danger. Did you get burned, exposed to dangerous smoke, or otherwise injured? Let us protect our protectors by offering you high-quality legal counsel.
- Healthcare and medical: Working in the healthcare and medical industries can put you at a high risk of contracting a contagious illness or suffering another form of injury. We know how to handle workers’ comp cases filed by healthcare workers, who can sometimes encounter conflict when trying to file a claim.
- Retail: Anyone who has worked retail knows that the job is strenuous. Day-to-day tasks can be physically demanding, and helping customers all day can be mentally exhausting. We are here to help retail workers when no one else will.
- Foodservice: Chefs, line cooks, and others who work in the foodservice industry can suffer a variety of injuries, like burns and lacerations. Making sure that you can get the benefits you need after an accident at a restaurant or another eatery is something we would be happy to do.
- Transportation: An inherent risk to working in the transportation industry is motor vehicle accidents. Food delivery drivers, Uber drivers, postal workers, and others who spend hours behind the wheel for their work deserve attentive and responsive legal representation like ours.
Common Workplace Injuries
As can be seen, it does not matter what industry you work in or what your job title is, there is always a risk of a workplace injury. Even office workers in quiet, controlled, and indoor settings can get hurt at work, such as if they slip on a recently cleaned floor. Do not let your employer or their insurance company convince you that you do not have a valid workers’ compensation claim just because your job “should be safe.” Explore your legal options with our firm first to get a fair chance at the benefits you deserve.
A few of the most common workplace injuries include:
- Repetitive stress injuries: If you repeat the same motion or action again and again, even if it is simple and not strenuous at all, then you could eventually suffer a repetitive stress injury (RSI). Although RSIs form gradually, they can cause catastrophic complications and consequences that are sometimes permanent. An example of an RSI is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a risk factor for workers who use keyboards throughout the day.
- Back injuries: Workers who need to lift heavy products or stoop over each day can eventually hurt their backs, even if they take training courses to lift and reach safely. Do not ignore an ache in your back if one is forming. It could be an early warning sign that your job is causing you to suffer an injury.
- Head injuries: Workplaces with verticality can cause a risk of a head injury. For example, a construction worker who works on the lower floors of a structure could be struck by falling tools and objects. Or a retail worker could be hit by a product that falls from the top-stock location of a shelf.
- Occupational illnesses: Healthcare workers who work with ill patients are at an inherent risk of catching those illnesses that are contagious. Occupational illness claims spiked considerably during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even during that difficult time, insurance companies fought most occupational illness claims. Make sure your claim is respected by teaming up with our firm.
How Workers’ Compensation is Supposed to Work
Workers’ compensation is supposed to give an injured worker necessary benefits that are guaranteed by their employment. It is a no-fault insurance system, which means that the benefits can be provided even if the worker admits to causing their own injury. Insurance companies and employers that do not want to lose money will try to interfere with this system, taking a concept that was simple and complicating it.
It is important to note that workers’ compensation is guaranteed to most employees in Iowa. Independent contractors are typically not promised workers’ comp benefits. If you are an independent contractor who was hurt while working, then it might be a greater challenge than usual to get help. Call (515) 705-0233 and let our lawyers make sense of your situation.
Benefits Provided by Workers’ Comp
Each workers’ compensation policy will be unique to some extent. But the Iowa Division of Workers’ Compensation requires all workers’ comp policies that are provided to employees to meet certain minimums and expectations. As such, there are some benefits that you should be able to expect when you file for workers’ comp, regardless of your occupation or policy.
Three important benefits of workers’ compensation include:
- Medical care: Treating the injuries of a worker who was hurt while working is the main focus of workers’ compensation benefits. From emergency medical care and hospitalization to aftercare like therapy and prescriptions, everything should be fully covered by the insurance. You should not even have to pay minimal co-pay amounts out of your own finances if you are eligible for workers’ comp.
- Lost wages: Injuries that prevent you from returning to work soon can make you eligible for wage replacement and disability benefits. Temporary disability pay could equal two-thirds of your average pre-injury wages until you can return to work. Long-term disability pay will be based on the type, severity, and permanency of your disability.
- Vocational retraining: When an injury prevents you from returning to your previous role, your employer might be required to retain you for a new role with the same or improved salary. Any costs related to that retraining should be fully covered by the insurer.
Help Us Help You
Starting your workers’ comp case might be the most difficult step. Let us help you take it by contacting our law firm today. Our Sioux City workers’ compensation lawyers are standing by to hear from new and returning clients. It would be our honor to help you explore your right to workers’ comp benefits and fight for them if need be.
Let us lead the way. Dial (515) 705-0233 today!
