It isn’t that every injured worker in the United States needs to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer. After all, the system for workers’ compensation has been so designed that it is easy for employees to use on their own.

In California you can always handle the compensation claim on your own. But as things go, the process of getting a rightful claim isn’t all that easy or direct. That’s when you need to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer.

When You Don’t Need a Lawyer in

If your injury is pretty minor, you don’t need to hire a worker’s compensation lawyer in Oakland, CA. You won’t need a lawyer in these circumstances:

  • You don’t need a lot of medical treatment

  • You don’t need a lot of time away from work

  • Your injuries are minor and aren’t permanent

When You Need a Lawyer

If you get into a conflict with the insurance company, hire a workers compensation lawyer in Oakland, CA to sort out your matters. To protect your interests, you should put together all the evidence possible, such as medical exam reports, among other things.

Here are some circumstances when you should hire a workers’ compensation lawyer:

  • Your Claim Has Been Denied

Insurance companies could refuse to grant workers’ compensation claims for various reasons. Either the injury wasn’t related to your work, or that you sent in your claim too late. Though you can appeal against this, it takes very long and involves a lot of paperwork. This is when it’s best to hire a lawyer to represent you.

  • Your Rating of Permanent Disability Is Under Dispute

Usually, workers’ compensation claims are for permanent disability benefits. They depend on one’s permanent disability rating. The insurance company may not agree with your doctor’s rating; so they may ask you to have it done by a doctor of their choice. This doctor will provide a low rating, according to which the insurance company stands to pay you less in benefits. But with a lawyer representing you, you will get a fair amount in benefits.

  • Your Injury Is Pre-Existing

If you have a pre-existing injury in the same part of your body that you injured while at work, the insurance company will not be encouraged to pay you. It will state that your injury was due to your pre-existing condition rather than your activities at work. Lawyer will help you fight for your benefits.

  • You Find it Difficult to Get The Required Treatment

If you need some expensive medical treatment, like surgery, insurance companies often refuse to pay or delay in doing so. However, a lawyer on the scene can put the required pressure on the insurer to approve of the necessary medical treatment swiftly.

  • You Can’t Work As Efficiently As Before

If your injury has affected your ability to work and you can’t work as before, you will need to get the most of your workers’ compensation benefits and organize them in a manner that they are available to you for the rest of your days. If this means changing careers and undergoing training for your new career, this will mean some money too. A lawyer can help you secure this.

Conclusion

If you bring in a workers’ compensation lawyer to defend your rights to get benefits, you stand to get a higher settlement. Lawyers don’t just know the law, but also know how to negotiate and can build up a strong case for you. For these reasons, you stand to benefit greatly by hiring a lawyer when seeking workers’ compensation.