West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys answer questions about worker compensation settlements. Here are the most important answers you may need when looking at Florida worker’s compensation settlements.

3 Questions About Worker Compensation Settlements Answered by a West Palm Beach Personal Injury Attorney

How Do Worker Compensation Settlements Work?

Workers’ compensation benefits are paid out to employees who are injured on the job while performing duties in the scope of their work. If an employee gets hurt, he/she needs to file a worker’s compensation claim through the employer’s workers compensation insurance carrier to receive compensation for medical expenses such as hospital and ambulance bills. An injured worker can also claim for missed wages. It is often confused with disability payments which is a separate area of the law altogether. There are different options available to the employee, such as accepting the offer made by the insurance company or negotiating different settlement terms. In the last instance, it will stand the employee in good stead to be represented by an experienced attorney.

If the employee is represented by an attorney, the employee will have to provide the legal representative with information about the following:

  • His/her personal background, 
  • Work history and earnings,
  • All the reports (if any) provided by medical professionals on the extent of their injury, and
  • All costs relating to possible future care and treatments.

Should I Get Legal Representation in a Compensation Settlement Case?

Yes, it is always advisable to seek legal representation to handle compensation settlements. Having a competent personal injury workers compensation attorney on your case can mean the difference between being bullied into taking a minimal settlement and getting awarded a fair amount. 

A legal representative can help you understand the terms offered by the insurance company and can help you to evaluate the best cause of action, whether it is to accept a settlement amount or to pursue a hearing at trial. A trial judge will evaluate the facts of each case and will determine a fair amount for settlement. If this course of action is followed, an attorney who is knowledgeable in Florida worker’s compensation settlement amounts, as well as local and state laws, will be able to advise you whether to accept a settlement or pursue further legal action – without risking a verdict from a judge that provides for a lower settlement amount. 

How Do I Determine What My Case Is Worth?

This is another aspect on which a personal injury attorney can advise you. Because the compensation settlement is determined by a few different factors, your attorney can advise you on the rough estimate that is fair for your specific case. You need to be wary of any promises relating to a specific amount, whether this comes from an attorney or friends and family. Each case is evaluated individually and there is no way to determine an amount without reviewing the information relating to your specific case. 

Your attorney can also advise you on taxation of compensation settlements and provide you with guidance on the amount that lawyers take from settlements. 

To ensure that you get a fair compensation settlement, talk to your West Palm Beach personal injury workers compensation attorneys about your case.