There are few things more frightening, and potentially devastating, than sustaining a workplace injury. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you may think, and if this has recently happened to you, you are most likely now seeking compensation to help cover the cost of your medical bills and more. The Law Offices of George Poulos is here to help. In fact, we have assisted those seeking workers’ compensation benefits in Staten Island and throughout New York City for over 25 years, and we are ready to put that experience to work for you today. If you’ve been injured on the job, read on and contact our knowledgeable Staten Island workers’ compensation attorney today to learn more about how our firm can guide you through every step of the claims process ahead.
Our Legal Services
The Law Offices of George Poulos can provide you with the following answers to your questions after sustaining a workplace injury:
- What is Workers’ Compensation?
- Who is covered?
- Filing a claim
- Workers’ Compensation Benefits
- Disability Classifications
- Occupational Diseases
- Third Party Lawsuits
- Claim Disputes
Understanding Workers’ Compensation
- Workers’ Compensation: As you know, receiving workers’ compensation benefits is vital after sustaining an injury in the workplace, and make no mistake, serious workplace injuries can occur anywhere, no matter your line of work. After sustaining a workplace injury, you can turn to The Law Offices of George Poulos to help you through every step of the legal process ahead, including determining who is covered.
- Determining Whether You Have a Claim: The first step in the claims process is analyzing your injury and the circumstances surrounding it. If you were injured during work hours and you qualify under New York’s workers’ compensation laws, there is a very good chance that you will have a claim.
- Determining Your Disability Classification: Once we determine whether you have a valid workers’ compensation claim, we will then determine the classification of your disability. We will analyze the nature and extent of your injury and obtain medical documentation from a physician regarding how your injury prevents you from returning to work. This will help prove that you truly require compensation benefits.
- Filing Your Claim: As you can imagine, filing a workers’ compensation claim is oftentimes a complicated process, which is why it is so critical that you retain the services of an experienced Staten Island workers’ compensation attorney who has handled countless claims in the past. Filing your claim improperly can adversely affect your chances of receiving workers’ compensation benefits, which is why you must not proceed without retaining the services of our firm.
- Handling Claim Disputes: Unfortunately, though perhaps unsurprisingly, many workers who’ve been injured on the job find themselves being wrongly denied workers’ compensation benefits, or at least being short-changed and offered insufficient benefits. This is unacceptable, and oftentimes, it puts those who have been seriously injured in rather precarious situations. You and your family should not have to worry about failing to recover disability benefits when you truly need them. Our Staten Island workers’ compensation attorney has handled countless cases where claims have been disputed in the past, and he is ready to do the same for you now.
- Filing Third-Party Lawsuits: If workers’ compensation benefits simply do not cover the extent of your injury, you should understand that you still have options. In many cases, individuals who’ve been wrongly injured on the job can file third-party lawsuits against liable third parties. Essentially, this means that you will bring a personal injury claim against a party that is not your boss, such as an architect, independent contractor, or a negligent product manufacturer or designer. As long as you can prove that you were injured as a direct result of another party’s negligence, which our firm will help you do, you should be entitled to financial compensation that will help cover the cost of your medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Statute of Limitations
Every state has a statute of limitations in place when it comes to filing workers’ compensation and third-party claims, so time is of the essence. In many cases, people who are injured in accidents will try and wait to see if their injuries heal on their own. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes a mistake, for if you wait any longer than the statute of limitations allows, you will most likely be permanently time-barred from suing. The statute of limitations for third-party claims in New York State is, generally, three years, while the statute of limitations for workers’ compensation claims in New York is, generally, two years.
Contact Our Experienced Staten Island Workers’ Compensation Attorney
The bottom line is that if you are someone who has been injured on the job, you must retain the services of an experienced Staten Island workers’ compensation attorney immediately. Our firm is ready to fight, tooth-and-nail, for the compensation you need. Whether you are looking to file your claim or you are looking to appeal a denial, our firm is ready to put our 25 years of experience to work for you. Contact The Law Offices of George Poulos today so we can get started.
