When settling your workers' compensation claim, even the minute details need attention. Areas, such as mileage reimbursement, are often overlooked, which could mean money out of your pocket to cover those expenses. Before settling your claim, here are three aspects you need to cover with your employer's insurance company.
Pain and Suffering
In other personal injury cases, pain and suffering is often paid off by insurance companies to cover the physical pain that results from an accident. However, in workers' compensation cases, it is most likely that you will not receive compensation for your pain and suffering. There is one exception to this though.
You can ask for compensation for pain and suffering if your injuries led to the development of an emotional or mental disorder. For instance, if your physical pain caused you to develop depression, you could ask for compensation. The same applies if you developed injury-related sleep disorders.
Mileage Reimbursement
While recovering from your injuries, you could spend a lot of time going back and forth to your medical care providers. The cost for fuel can add up. In some states, you can receive mileage reimbursement. There could be restrictions placed on how much compensation you can recover and you might have to meet certain requirements before becoming eligible for reimbursement. For instance, in Texas, you can only receive compensation for travel to a provider that is longer than 30 miles one-way from your home.
If you are eligible to receive reimbursement, it is important that you keep accurate logs of your mileage. Obtain documentation from your providers showing that you were in-office for treatment. You also should keep your fuel receipts.
Permanent Scarring
Some injuries suffered on the job can result in permanent scarring. If you do have permanent scarring or some form of disfigurement, there is a possibility that you can receive compensation. Some states only allow you to recover damages if your scarring can hinder your ability to find employment in the future or your ability to perform your job. There are several factors that are considered when deciding how much you can receive. The factors can include where your scarring is located and the severity of it.
If any of these apply to you, it is important that you talk to a workers' compensation attorney like The Law Offices of Gregg Durlofsky. He or she can ensure that those concerns are factored into your final settlement with your employer's insurance company.
Share15 June 2015
When I sued a product manufacturer after a disfiguring accident, I never expected to actually go to court. I assumed that the case would eventually be settled, like most personal injury cases are. To my surprise, they wouldn't budge, and we ended up having to go all the way to court. I was pretty nervous about testifying, but I had a great attorney that prepared me well, and everything went smoothly. In the end, the jury saw things my way. I realized that I probably wasn't the only person to ever experience an unexpected day in court, and that's how I got the idea to start this blog. If you're looking for tips to help you prepare or wondering what to expect when you go to court for a lawsuit, this blog contains important information for you.
