Workers’ Compensation: What You Need to Know if You’ve Been Hurt on the Job

Wisconsinites are known for many things: cheese, beer, devoted sports fans (Go Packers!), beautiful natural resources, temperamental weather, fish frys, and above all — its hard working people.

It’s important that Wisconsin’s hard workers are protected. Whether you work in a small machine shop with under 20 employees or for a large multi-million dollar corporation, the law requires employers to provide employees with a safe work environment. Even when appropriate safety measures and precautions have been taken, however, it’s possible for an employee to get injured on the job.  

Unfortunately, many insurance companies deny workers’ compensation claims. They may question how a person initially reported the work injury, dispute whether the injury was work-related, or reject a claim based on minor technicalities, such as incomplete paperwork.

The last thing you want to worry about when you are injured is the complex claims processes needed to secure workman’s compensation benefits. That’s why it’s important to seek a team of legal experts. Working with a workers’ compensation attorney will ensure you receive the benefits you’re entitled to and allow you to focus on healing.

The experienced legal team at Fitzgerald Law Firm has the right resources and know-how to evaluate your case and help you fight for the benefits you deserve. We’ll help you properly report your work injury, gather medical records and other evidence needed to support your case, and help you file your claim. With the right legal team by your side, you’ll be able to focus on recovering from your work injury — without the additional stress of navigating a complicated legal case alone.

Have you been hurt on the job? Here is a list of injuries covered under the law, according to the Department of Workforce Development. 
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WORK INJURIES COVERED BY LAW

The workers’ compensation law of Wisconsin defines an injury as any mental or physical harm due to workplace accidents or diseases, including accidental damage to artificial limbs, dental appliances, and teeth. Injuries covered include:

• Physical harm or injury such as bruises, burns, cuts, fractures, crushing injuries, hernias, sprains, strains, stiffness, amputation, loss or paralysis of part of the body, sudden loss of hearing, sudden loss of vision and disfigurement.
  
  
• Mental harm including nervous disorders, hysteria, and traumatic neurosis. The effects of brain hemorrhage caused by an industrial accident may also result in such harm. If the injury is mental harm or emotional stress without physical trauma, the injured employee must show that it resulted from a situation of greater dimensions than the day-to-day mental stresses and tensions which all employees experience.
  
  
• Accidental injury such as physical or traumatic mental harm occurring suddenly and unexpectedly as a result of some employment-related activity.
  
  
• An occupational disease is chronic physical or mental harm caused by exposure over a period of time to some employment-related substance, condition or activity. Occupational disease includes loss of hearing and deterioration of bodily functions. Examples of common types of occupational disease are dermatitis (skin trouble), infection, silicosis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, lead poisoning, and respiratory disease. In addition, occupational disease includes the deterioration of bodily function caused by working conditions over a period of time. For instance, hernias and back trouble caused by repetitive motion or repeated strain over a period of time are considered occupational diseases under the law.
  
  
• Occupational deafness benefits are payable if prolonged exposure to noise causes permanent partial or total loss of hearing.
  
  
• Vision loss or blindness benefits may be awarded if the impairment results in you not being able to perform typical work tasks or daily activities. Eyeglasses and hearing aids may be replaced only when a personal injury entitles the employee to medical treatment or payment of workers’ compensation benefits. For example, if a pair of glasses drops to the floor, with no personal injury, there is no payment or replacement.
  

Dive more deeply into what injuries are covered under workers’ compensation in our recent blog post.

Getting injured on the job can be a big setback, both emotionally and physically, and the claims process can feel daunting. That’s why you should never navigate it alone. At Fitzgerald Law Firm, we serve as an advocate for clients, listening and understanding your case to the fullest degree. Just as every injury is unique, so are the benefits you are entitled to including:

• Wage Replacement‍
• Future Wage Loss‍
• Medical Expenses‍
• Permanent Disability‍
• Retraining‍
• Death

We know Wisconsinites are hardworking, dedicated people. Regardless of where you work, or what your position may be, you deserve to be taken care of after a workplace injury. An injury can completely upheave your life. Between lost income, rest and healing, medical bills, therapies and more, a workplace injury can lead to a lot of expenses and stress. Your workplace injury is not your fault, and you deserve to have quality legal representation to ensure you receive the scope of benefits you deserve. 

f you have questions about a workers’ compensation case visit Fitzgerald Law Firm or call to set up your free consultation at (920) 486-1525, today.

Want to hear from real clients? View our testimonials page here. 

Tracey - Worker’s Compensation Case ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I had a wonderful experience with Attorney Fitzgerald and would recommend her to anybody. She is very attentive and very confidential and has done tremendous things to help me with my case."