There is no place in the world that can be considered completely safe. You can trip over a shoe or your dog at home, fall, and break a bone. You could be driving a modest 55 miles per hour on the highway and be hit by a reckless driver. A faulty handrail at your workplace could send you tumbling down the stairs. In the latter two cases, a personal injury lawyer could get you the compensation you deserve.
In 2012 alone, more than 245,000 Canadians suffered workplace injuries. If you sustained an injury at work, you might think that all you are entitled to is what the company offers in terms of workers’ compensation. This, however, is not always the case. For the most part, workers’ compensation will only cover a portion of your treatment, and does not provide sufficient payments for short or long term disability caused by the injury. It also does not punish your employer for punitive damages. In this case, the help of a work injury lawyer, or personal injury lawyer would be beneficial.
Personal injury lawyers, who also act as work injury lawyers, specialize in physical, emotional or psychological damage as a result of another person, company, or entity’s wrong doing. A personal injury law firm is typically equipped with several attorneys that can handle workplace injuries, car accident injury claims, medical malpractice suits, and defective product claims, to name a few.
One benefit to hiring a work injury lawyer is that you can expect to get fair compensation. If you try to face a large company alone, they might try to “lowball” you, and get you to settle for less money than you deserve. A lawyer will know exactly how much you should be getting through workers’ compensation in your province. For example, in Ontario, workers’ compensation is calculated by adding 85% of an individual’s salary with any heath care costs, therapy sessions need for psychological damage, and disability expenses. An experienced lawyer might also be able to get you more than just workers’ compensation if the amount is not sufficient to cover your losses or pain and suffering.
Perhaps the biggest advantage to hiring a personal injury lawyer is to reduce the level of stress you may be feeling. The injury alone can be difficult to manage, not to mention the mounds of paperwork you will likely have to navigate, and the change in your life situation, especially if the injury forces you claim disability. You can talk to your lawyer about your concerns, and they can offer a sympathetic ear, as well as valuable insight into the entire process.
You may not want to deal with lawyer fees, or the hassle of trying to find a high caliber lawyer, but their help will ultimately save you time, and get you more compensation than you may be able to get on on your own.
Learn more about this topic here: www.awaxmanlaw.ca