Why Workers’ Compensation, Part 3
Paycheck to Paycheck
According to CNN, 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. That’s an insane number. Absolutely insane.
It means that if one paycheck is missed, bills become late. If a few are missed, life comes off the rails. That’s why workers’ compensation laws are so important. Comp laws are a huge part of the social safety net.
If you get hurt at work, chances are that your employer, especially if they are large, will send you to a doctor or medical facility that they have chosen. No one tells you that you are entitled to choose your own doctor in Maryland workers’ comp.
The doc or medical facility your employer sends you to has a vested interest in your employer continuing to send injured workers to them. This means they have a vested interest in minimizing your injuries. This might mean no MRI, just a physical therapy script. It might mean no X-Ray.
Then, there’s a chance that you get rushed back to work after seeing a doctor at an “Independent Medical Exam.” Once again, the IME doc has incentive to continue to get business from the employer/insurer.
Consequently, you are not given the treatment or time off you need to heal.
That’s where we come in as the workers’ compensation lawyers. We use the laws and the Workers’ Compensation Commission to get justice for you. We aim to get you compensated and, more importantly, to get what you need to properly heal. We aim to help you think long-term, because, goodness knows, the workers’ comp insurance company isn’t going to do this on your behalf.
Comp Keeps You Going
Workers’ comp isn’t a perfect system. You won’t be adequately compensated for your injuries. That’s part of the “Grand Bargain.” You’re covered even when it isn’t the employer’s fault, but you aren’t covered quite as well as the rest of the personal injury world.
But the system should keep you from going broke. It should keep your family’s mouths fed. It should let your body heal. It should keep you from getting chewed up and spit out by the system.
BUT! You must know your rights. That’s where a good comp lawyer comes in. Get help!
