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After a work injury, you can file for workers’ compensation without needing to hire a lawyer. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) even has a step-by-step guide on its website for injured workers to file for benefits, and it includes links to important forms, fax numbers and mailing addresses, phone numbers to call, and more. After filing your claim, you can also view its status by creating an account on the BWC website.
With the process being so convenient and automated, many people wonder why anyone would need a lawyer to file for workers’ compensation—especially if they’ve already submitted their applications. The truth is, getting benefits isn’t easy. And although the BWC makes it easy to submit claims online, there’s a lot that can go wrong, and claims are often denied.
Not only can you hire a lawyer after you’ve already submitted your claim, you should. Here’s why.
Submitting your claim to the BWC isn’t a one-and-done step. After the BWC uploads your claim into its system, you can review it online. If you hire a lawyer after you’ve already submitted your claim, he or she can review it to determine its strength and whether any mistakes, omissions, or missing paperwork could hurt your chances of getting compensation.
Your lawyer can then help you correct any mistakes either online or by faxing/mailing the correct or corrected documents to the BWC directly. They can also contact the BWC on your behalf to provide new or accurate information concerning your injury, medical care, and more.
When an injured worker applies for workers’ compensation benefits, the BWC may contact them if it has questions about their applications. It’s common for injured workers to either have difficulty remembering certain details or to even be unable to answer at all due to their injuries preventing them from communicating clearly or easily.
Having an experienced Ohio workers’ compensation lawyer on your side even after your claim has been filed means the BWC is much more likely to get the answers it needs to move forward with your claim.
Some workers’ compensation claims are subject to hearings. There are multiple levels of hearings ranging from hearings in front of a district hearing officer, a staff hearing officer, and the Ohio Industrial Commission (IC).
The BWC recommends on its website that applicants who are scheduled for hearings should have legal representation. That’s because hearings function similarly to courtrooms in terms of procedure. Having a lawyer on your side with experience handling both the paperwork side of workers’ compensation claims and the hearings can give you a big advantage and peace of mind.
It’s believed that as many as 25% of all workers’ compensation claims are initially denied. There are many reasons that claims are denied, and when it happens, it can be a crushing blow for injured workers and their families. They were counting on receiving the money to replace their lost paychecks and to pay for their medical bills, only to find out they aren’t getting it.
However, if you already have a lawyer on your side, he or she can begin appealing the BWC’s decision right away. That means you don’t have to search for an attorney, tell them what happened, and wait for them to review the status of your claim. Instead, you’ll have an experienced legal professional ready to hit the ground running on your appeal.
At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, our Ohio workers’ compensation attorneys have decades of experience handling applications from the day workers are injured until the day their benefits are approved, and beyond. We can handle every step of the process, ranging from collecting evidence and filling out the application, reviewing it for accuracy and completeness, attending hearings, and even appealing the BWC’s decision—more than once, if necessary.
Don’t risk losing out on the benefits you’re owed, even if you’ve already submitted your claim for benefits. Our lawyers are ready to help you maximize your chances of approval in any way we can. Reach out to us today for a free consultation, and remember, there’s no cost to hire our firm unless we successfully get your claim approved.
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