Workers’ Compensation Lawyer West Palm Beach
We received a call from a potential client looking to speak with a West Palm Beach workers’ compensation lawyer regarding a problem she was having. She wanted to know if she could file a claim even if she didn’t have a specific injury or accident.
Her employer told her that she did not have a case because she did not have an accident but she was in pain and felt her problems were related to her work. She didn’t know what to do, but felt her employer was messing around and not being honest with her.
As work injury lawyers in West Palm Beach we hear from many clients who were told by their bosses or supervisors they don’t have a work comp case. Unfortunately, these people are usually wrong. Whether it is intentional or not, it is not correct.
You don’t need to have fallen off a chair, slipped in a puddle of goo or been hit by a car to have a valid and compensable workers’ compensation claim in Florida.
After talking with the caller who had been told she didn’t have a case, our work injury compensation lawyers discovered that she really did have a case. She had been directed to move water bottles, those big water cooler tubs, not the little hand held bottles, and after lifting and moving and stacking almost a dozen she felt very sore. The next day she was uncomfortable but worked through it. A few days later she was in extreme pain and went to a doctor. The doctor asked what she did and she said the only thing she could think of was lifting the water.
When our West Palm Beach workers’ compensation lawyers asked her why she didn’t think she had a case, she responded that she didn’t feel pain that day, or at least not the type of pain that would make her think she had an accident.
While this is understandable, it should not deter anyone from reporting an incident and seeking medical care under their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. If in doubt, report the event to a supervisor and if at all possible seek medical attention.
Not only can you have an injury that develops a few hours or days after an event without having an accident like falling or getting hit, but an injury or condition can develop from repetitive trauma. These repetitive injuries can take many weeks or months to develop, sometimes even years.
Whenever you have a medical condition that you think may be related to a work activity, it is always wise to make sure you seek medical treatment. – If you are unsure of the cause of your condition, tell your doctor what you do and ask them their opinion. Make sure to explain in detail what you do, and what your work activities include. There is a world of difference between telling someone you are a security guard and have knee pain versus you work security which requires you to walk 3 miles a shift, climb fences, squat, lift and bend and have developed knee pain.
Give the professionals as much detail as possible so they can help you discover the cause of your complaints, be it the doctor or your workers’ compensation lawyer.
Contact Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt today for a free case evaluation.
