Know Your Role In Your Workers' Compensation Case
by Susie Torres
The successful outcome of your workers' compensation claim isn't just the responsibility of your attorney. You too must play an active role. If you are in the midst of a compensation case, make sure you know what your responsibilities are.
Keep An Accurate Account
Keep an accurate account of your injuries and your progress. Workers' compensation cases can easily last upwards of an entire year. Your ability to remember exactly what happened may fade over this period. When you don't remember all the details of what happened, it's fairly easy to make inconsistent statements, which although innocent, will only hinder your credibility.
Create an accurate account of what happened while it's fresh in your mind in the form of a written statement. As you get treatment or if new injuries surface, add this information to the entry. This information will prove to be vital to your attorney as it will be necessary to reference this information as the case progresses.
Only Offer Limited Authorization
The legal team or insurance company representing your employer will request access to your medical records and bills, in the form of a medical authorization. The request for this information will sometimes occur before you have contacted an attorney, so make sure you're only signing a limited authorization.
A limited authorization only grants them access to bills and records directly related to your injury. Signing a non-limited release grants them access to all the records and bills in your file. With this level of access, the legal team will comb through your history to look for any type of past incident that they can somehow link to your current injuries, which will basically kill your case.
Listen To Your Physician
One of the most important things you can do to help ensure a more successful outcome with your claim is to listen to your physician. Whatever your provider tells you to do or to abstain from, you need to adhere to it. Something as seemingly minor as missing an appointment can work against you.
From the side of your employer's representation, your failure to make all your appointments could either mean that your injuries aren't quite as significant as you claim or that you aren't truly trying to work towards improving your condition. Either of these scenarios could lead to a loss of your benefits and termination of your case.
Make sure you understand that you play an important role in the outcome of your case. Speak with your attorney to get a clear understanding what your responsibilities are.
Contact a firm like Franco Law Firm for more information.
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About Me
After you are involved in a serious car accident, you might feel confused about what to do next. In order to feel like yourself again, you might be tempted to try to go about your daily activities, only to come across loads of challenges. In addition to focusing on your own recovery, you might also be left wondering what to do about medical bills, pushy insurance adjusters, and annoying family members. However, the right lawyer can help you to find your way. My name is Dan, and I know firsthand how difficult it can be to recover from a bad injury. Read my website to learn how proper legal representation can simplify your journey.