If you become sick or injured due to a work-related injury or illness, you deserve to get the medical care and support you need to fully recover. That’s why many people file for workers’ compensation benefits.

Unfortunately, getting the benefits and medical care you deserve can become much more complicated than you might expect. And one of the reasons why are delays caused by workers’ compensation insurance companies.

Why does this happen? And what can you do to respond? Below, you can find the answers to these questions and many more, courtesy of workers’ compensation attorneys with years of experience handling complex legal cases in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

How workers’ compensation insurance companies delay medical care

Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance all employers must have in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. If you sustain an injury at work or develop an occupational illness, you should receive medical care (including surgery, physical therapy, and follow-up doctor’s appointments) designed to help you recover from your work-related injury or illness. Workers’ compensation may also provide cash payments if you need time off from work to recover from your injury or illness.

Unfortunately, some workers’ compensation insurance companies do the opposite. Their actions result in delays in medical treatment and testing. As a result, you might have to wait a long time to get the medical care you need to recover. Such delays can involve:

• Taking longer than average to investigate whether you got sick or hurt at work. In Massachusetts, insurance companies have up to 14 days to approve a workers’ compensation claim. In Rhode Island, insurance companies need to do the same within 10 days. However, in certain circumstances, companies may be able to ask for an extension and take longer to approve an application for workers’ compensation benefits.
• Delaying scheduling medical appointments to diagnose what’s wrong with you. For example, you might need an MRI or CT Scan but have to wait weeks for one to find out what type of work-related injury or illness you sustained on the job.
• Questioning the doctor you want to treat your illness or injury. Often, insurance companies will claim they can choose your doctor. Don’t believe them. You have the right to see the doctor you want in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It’s the law.
• Processing delays by the insurance company. For example, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company might take a long time to process payments for your medical care, resulting in a delay in follow-up medical treatment.

There are many other ways business and insurance companies can try to delay providing you with the medical care and support you need and deserve under workers’ compensation. When this happens, make sure you take action to protect your rights. Make sure you contact an experienced workers’ comp lawyer right away.

What to do in response

You can do many things if you are not receiving the medical care and support you need for your work-related injury or illness. Such steps include:

• If your employer does not notify your workers’ compensation insurance company within 30 days of your work-related injury or illness, notify your insurance company directly.
• If your workers’ compensation insurance company denies your application for benefits, you can file an appeal.
  • In Massachusetts, you will file your workers’ compensation appeal with the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA).
  • In Rhode Island, you will file a petition with the Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court to appeal your denial of benefits.
• Stay focused on recovering from your work-related injury or illness. If you have a severe injury that requires medical care, demand to see a doctor.
• Keep records of all your medical treatment, including copies of all medical bills and written prescription medications.
• Hire a workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible after you get sick or hurt at work.

Why you need a workers’ compensation attorney

You are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits if you sustain a severe injury while on the job or develop an occupational illness. That’s the law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. That’s why it’s critical that you meet with an attorney at our law firm.

Our workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl have been helping people get the support they need for years in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As a result, we know how the legal system works here, and we’re prepared to do the work that needs to be done for you.

Learn more about your legal rights. Contact our law firm and schedule a free case evaluation with a workers’ compensation attorney focused on winning your case. We have three offices conveniently located in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and handle workplace injury claims in both states.

Injuries to the hands and fingers often occur at work, making them one of the most common – and most serious – work-related injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

And in many cases, injured workers are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits for their hand injury. Financial help and support can be critical for many injured workers. Without such help, they might not physically recover and can face financial hardships due to the significant financial toll of many hand-related injuries.

Hand injuries in the workplace

Each year, an estimated 1 million workers sustain an injury to the hand or fingers that require emergency medical care, according to BLS statistics cited by Occupational Health & Safety magazine. This is especially true for construction workers, who are at the highest risk of sustaining a work-related hand injury, according to Occupational Health & Safety.

Compared to other work-related injuries, hand injuries are the second most common reason why employees need to take time off for a work injury, according to Safety + Health magazine. The most common reason why is due to neck or back injuries.

Here’s another startling statistic – 23 percent of all work injuries involve injuries to the fingers or hands, making them “the most frequent preventable injuries” at work, according to the same Safety + Health magazine article.

The financial toll of hand injuries

Injuries to the hands and fingers sustained on the job aren’t just painful. They can take an enormous financial toll on injury victims. According to Occupational Health & Safety, the direct economic costs of specific hand injuries include:

• $2,000 for stitches to the hand or fingers.
• $10,000 for cuts (lacerations) to the hand.
• $70,000 for a severed tendon.

The financial toll can be even higher if your hand or finger injury requires surgery, an overnight stay in a hospital, or long-term medical care due to permanent damage to the hand. This is why it’s crucial to have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer handling your legal case and demanding the money you deserve.

Common work-related hand injuries

Work-related injuries involving the hands or fingers can cover a wide range. According to the Health & Safety Institute (HSI), the most common hand and finger injuries include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome and other types of nerve damage to the hand.
• Bone fractures or broken bones.
• Avulsion fracture. This occurs when the tendon moves in one direction, and the bone moves in the opposite direction, resulting in a broken bone in the hands or fingers.
• Cuts or lacerations to the hand or fingers.
• Hand amputation (loss of the hand).
• Abrasion injuries to the skin on the fingers or hands, including soft tissue damage.
• Burn injuries to the hand or fingers.
• The hand being crushed by a heavy object.
• A puncture wound caused by a sharp object puncturing the hand.

Common causes of work-related hand injuries

Work-related injuries to the hand or fingers often occur due to hazardous or unsafe working conditions. This can include:

• Employers not providing workers with safety equipment designed to prevent hand injuries. Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be as simple as protective gloves.
• Employers do not adequately train workers on how to safely use equipment, especially power tools or potentially-dangerous equipment.
• Unmarked hazards or poorly visible objects due to bad lighting result in a slip, trip, or fall accident that causes a hand injury.
• Not properly grounding electrical equipment results in a power surge that causes a severe hand injury.

Is this how your work-related hand injury occurred? Or are you dealing with a different situation? Whatever the circumstances, ensure you fully understand your legal rights. Make sure you talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer right away so you can weigh all your legal options.

How a workers’ compensation attorney can help you

When you have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer handling your hand injury claim, you can focus on what matters most – your recovery. That’s because your attorney can deal with all the red tape associated with complicated legal cases.

The workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl have the knowledge and experience you need to demand the compensation you deserve. We know what to do because we have been helping injured workers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for decades.

Discover what we can do for you. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorney you can count on when it matters most. We have three offices conveniently located in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and handle workplace injury claims in both states.