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Our Cincinnati workers comp lawyers do not often meet with employees whose workers compensation claims were approved. If you were injured on the job and started to receive your workers comp benefits within a week or two, you probably have no reason to hire an attorney. However, if your workers’ compensation claim was denied, or you have not received an update on your claim, you probably need some help. Our Cincinnati workers compensation lawyers have decades of combined experience helping people in your situation. We can reach out to your employer and their insurance company and find out what the status of your claim is. Once we get an update, we can sit down with you and figure out the best way to proceed.
Your Workers Compensation Claim Must First Be Approved
Before you start receiving any benefits, your workers’ compensation claim must be approved. Ohio, like every other state, has certain requirements you must meet in order to qualify for workers compensation benefits. Most of the time, there is no problem getting your workers’ compensation claim approved. In fact, more than 90% of all workers’ compensation claims are approved the first time they are submitted.
In order to qualify for workers’ comp, you must meet the following criteria:
- you must demonstrate that your injuries were suffered while you were at work
- you must report your accident and your injuries to your manager or the human resources department right away
- you must seek immediate medical treatment from a state- approved workers compensation doctor
- you must test negative for drugs
- you must cooperate with your doctor and attend all of your required appointments
- you cannot work a second job while collecting workers comp benefits
If you believe that you meet these criteria but have still not received your benefits, contact our office.
There Are 2 Types of Workers Comp Benefits in Ohio
If your workers’ comp claim is approved, you will be entitled to two types of benefits. First, you will be entitled to medical care for any injuries you suffered in your workplace accident. This includes anything from your hospitalization to your ambulance ride. It also covers physical therapy, prescription medications, and durable medical equipment.
The second type of benefit you will receive under workers compensation in Ohio are weekly replacement wages. If you’re out of work because you were injured on the job, you will not have an income. Workers’ compensation will pay you 2/3 of your average weekly wages until you return to work. These benefits do not start right away. By the time your employer submits your claim to their insurance company and they process your claim, it can be anywhere from 7 to 10 days.
Once your claim is approved, it will probably take another two or three days for payroll to be notified. The good news is that once your weekly benefits do kick in, you will continue to receive them until you return to work (or your workers’ compensation claim is settled.)
Your Medical Benefits Will Kick in Almost Immediately
Our workers compensation attorneys in Ohio like to tell our clients that their medical coverage will kick in right away. Usually, your medical care will be covered presuming that your claim will be approved. Of course, your medical coverage only relates to injuries suffered in your workplace accident. Your medical coverage will also terminate if your claim happens to be denied. As long as your claim is approved, any and all medical care you receive between the time you go out for workers comp and the time you return to work should be covered.
It Will Take a Couple of Weeks for Your Weekly Benefits to Start
It’s important to understand that you should not worry if a week or two go by and you have not received your workers’ compensation benefit payments. It typically takes anywhere from 10 to 14 days for your benefits to kick in. When you figure this into the fact that you may get paid every other week, it makes sense that you may not have received any payment yet.
However, if more than two weeks have gone by, and your employer can’t give you a straight answer, you should contact our office. One of our Cincinnati workers comp lawyers can reach out to your employer and let them know that you will proceed with legal action if the issue is not rectified. What this will do is either prompt the insurance carrier to make a decision on your claim or confirm that your claim has been approved.
If You Entertain Any Problems, Contact Workers Compensation Lawyers in Ohio
If you have already filed your workers’ compensation claim and it hasn’t been paid, you should reach out to Cincinnati workers comp lawyers right away. Typically, you should know within a week or two whether your workers’ compensation claim has been approved. If you have not heard anything and you have not received any benefits yet, there may be a problem with your claim. Your Cincinnati workers compensation lawyers can reach out to your employer or their insurance carrier to find out what’s going on. If they learn that your claim has been denied, they can help you file an appeal.
If your claim was approved and your benefits are held up, they will investigate the matter and try to resolve the problem. Your Cincinnati workers comp lawyers understand right now you’re not in a position to deal with these things yourself. That’s why you hired one of our associates in the first place.
We offer all new clients a free, initial consultation. This gives you a chance to sit down with an experienced attorney who has handled cases like yours in the past. They’re not only familiar with the workers compensation laws in Ohio, but they’re also familiar with how the various insurance carriers work. Once your Cincinnati workers comp lawyers get to the bottom of whatever the issue is, they can help you move forward in the right direction.
