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After workplace accidents, victims suffer mounting medical bills and a long road to recovery. Employers and their insurers often fight to prevent injured workers from getting the benefits they deserve. At Marasco & Nesselbush, we partner with trusted Rhode Island workers’ compensation attorneys to whom we refer to guide you and protect your rights under the state’s workers’ comp laws.
Rhode Island’s no-fault workers’ compensation system avoids the necessity of proving many elements of a typical lawsuit. Rather, it is designed to provide a wage replacement system that compensates injured workers for their lost wages and other losses quickly and efficiently. In exchange, workers give up their rights to sue their employers and cannot seek compensation for pain and suffering.
Unfortunately, employers and workers’ comp insurance providers do not always make it easy for injured workers to get the benefits they need. They often fight aggressively to deny employees’ claims or minimize their compensation. At Marasco & Nesselbush, our team of experienced Rhode Island workers’ compensation lawyers offers the support you need to move forward with a workers’ comp claim. Contact us to learn more about your rights and how you can protect them.
Types Of Workplace Accidents
There are many types of workplace accidents. Some jobs, like construction, have a higher risk of causing devastating injuries. However, every job poses a unique set of risks for injury and illness.
The most common workplace accidents include the following:
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Falls from heights
- Falling objects
- Electrocutions
- Crush injuries
- Overexertion injuries
- Machinery accidents
- Equipment malfunctions
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Workplace violence
In addition, you may suffer injuries at work due to repetitive stress or overwork, for which you might also have the right to compensation.
Common Injuries In Workers' Compenssation Claims
Workplace accident victims have the legal right to file a workers’ comp claim. The most common injuries in Rhode Island workers’ compensation claims include the following:
Types Of Workers' Compensation Benefitts
Rhode Island offers several types of benefits for workplace injury victims.
Partial Disability Benefits
When an injury impacts an employee’s ability to work, but they can still earn some income, they may apply for partial disability benefits. If an injured worker receives partial disability benefits, their wage can be up to 150 percent of their weekly benefit amount.
Total Disability Benefits
Employees may collect total disability benefits if they are physically unable to earn wages through any employment while recovering from their injuries. Those benefits generally amount to 62 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage.
Dependency Allowance
When injured workers have dependents, they can receive $15 per week for each dependent in addition to total disability benefits. In Rhode Island, a spouse who does not work, children under 18, and children under 23 attending school full-time qualify as dependents.
Medical Benefits
Following a workplace accident, the employer’s workers’ comp insurance provider should fully cover the cost of medical treatment for the injury. The employee should not receive any bill for that treatment, including co-pay or deductible bills.
Rhode Island does place some limits on palliative care, which is care people suffering from serious injuries or illnesses receive to help improve their quality of life instead of curing their condition. Once the injured worker has reached the point of maximum medical improvement, palliative care designed to alleviate the impact of the injury is limited to either 60 days or 12 visits, whichever comes first. After that, the injured employee will need approval from the insurer to receive coverage for additional palliative care.
Injured and not sure what your case is worth? Find out for free.
How To File A Workers' Comp Claim In Rhode Island
When you suffer injuries in a workplace accident in Rhode Island, you must notify your employer about the accident within 30 days. Your employer will then file a report with your workers’ comp insurance provider. Workers’ comp insurance agents will review the claim. They may contact you to ask questions about the accident and your injuries. Answer those questions honestly.
Once they review the claim, the workers’ comp insurance company will let you know your coverage level and what you can expect as you recover from your injuries.
If you have any questions about your rights or struggle to get your company’s insurance provider to approve your claim, you may need help from a Rhode Island workers’ compensation lawyer.
How A Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Lawyer Can Help
A workers’ compensation lawyer in Rhode Island offers many benefits as you pursue your claim. The workers’ comp claim process can be complex, so having an attorney on your side can prove essential. They can:
Inform you of your rights: Your workers’ comp lawyer can provide vital insight into when payments should arrive and how much you deserve as you fight for fair compensation.
Streamline the claim process: A lawyer can ensure you complete all paperwork correctly and do not miss any essential elements.
Fight to protect your rights: A lawyer can fight for you if your employer pushes you to return to work too early or to give up the compensation you deserve.
Contact A Rhode Island Workers' Comp Lawyer Today
At Marasco & Nesselbush, we have decades of experience dealing with personal injury and workers’ comp claims. We have four convenient office locations in Providence, Warwick, Wakefield, and Woonsocket, making it easy to contact us. Schedule your free consultation today. We are standing by to hear from you. Chat live, fill out our email form, or call (401) 443-2999.
