Indianapolis Workers Compensation Lawyers

Tenacious Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Serving Indianapolis, IN

When you’ve been hurt at work with an injury, illness, or disease, Indiana workers’ compensation law might entitle you to receive financial benefits and payments that can help you during your recovery. If you are struggling to receive benefits from your employer, an Indianapolis workers’ compensation lawyer from Klezmer Maudlin, PC can help you assert your rights.

Our firm advocates for workers who have suffered injuries or illnesses during their jobs. We hold employers and insurers accountable under Indiana law. We represent injured workers and help them recover the maximum compensation possible for past and future lost wages, and to cover their medical expenses. If your injuries are permanent, you may be entitled to a settlement. Contact us today to see how we can help you.

Don’t wait to get the legal help you need. Call Klezmer Maudlin, PC for a free consultation to discuss your rights with a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney in Indianapolis at (317) 623-4238.

Why Choose Klezmer Maudlin, PC to Fight For Your Workers’ Compensation Rights?

The workmans compensation system can be difficult to navigate. You may be entitled to more than one type of workers’ comp benefits. At Klezmer Maudlin, PC, we stand out among other top-rated workers’ compensation law firms for several important reasons.

Why do clients choose us to help them with their workers’ compensation claims? Here are a few of the advantages you’ll receive when you partner with Klezmer Maudlin, PC:

• Our team of attorneys has over a century of combined legal experience.
• We have offices in Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Lafayette, and Evansville/New Harmony to assist clients throughout the state. Our workers comp lawyers also practice in Kentucky and serve workers in the greater Louisville region.
• We wrote the book on workers’ compensation in Indiana, literally. Our attorneys authored the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Practice Manual. This is the ultimate legal resource that attorneys in the state rely on as their guide for understanding workers’ compensation law in Indiana. Our peers in the Indiana legal community recognize our knowledge and experience and frequently invite our attorneys to speak at seminars on workers’ compensation and work injury claims.
• Our clients have no upfront financial obligations when we acceptr their workers’ compensation claims. We offer free initial consultations and charge no legal fees or expenses unless and until we recover financial compensation.

What Financial Benefits Can You Receive in an Indiana Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Under the Indiana workers’ compensation system, your employer may need to provide various financial benefits if you sustain an injury or illness in the course and scope of your employment.

These benefits may include:

• Medical benefits to cover the cost of all reasonable and necessary medical treatment and rehabilitation services to help you recover from a work injury or occupational disease.
• Temporary total disability benefits pay you two-thirds of your pre-injury/illness average wage (subject to a cap) for the days you miss from work.
• Temporary partial disability benefits apply if you need to work part-time or in a lower-paying, modified-duty role while you recover. They provide two-thirds of the difference between your current lower earnings and your pre-injury/illness average weekly wage.
• Permanent partial impairment benefits are available once you reach maximum medical improvement of your injury. These payments cover impairment or loss of use of a body part or bodily function based on the specific body part or function and the degree of your impairment.
• Permanent total disability benefits compensate you when your injury indefinitely disables you from gainful employment.
• Vocational rehabilitation services cover the cost of training you to do another job within your medical limitations.
• Death benefits pay up to $10,000 towards funeral/burial costs plus replacement of the worker’s wages equal to the temporary total disability benefits described above.

Workers’ Compensation Statistics in Indianapolis, IN

According to the Indiana Department of Labor, there were 3.1 injuries/illnesses per 100 full-time workers in one recent year. Fortunately, this is the lowest rate of non-fatal worker injuries and illnesses since the state began documenting injury rates in 1992.

An estimated 73,800 workers in Indiana experienced a non-fatal, recorded work injury or illness in that year. If you were one of the unfortunate injured workers, talk to one of our workers’ compensation lawyers to learn more about your specific rights.

Almost 60 percent of recorded non-fatal injuries and illnesses resulted in one or more days off work. However, the workers who suffered non-fatal injuries and illnesses in that one year spent a median of 11 days off work. We can also help you recover compensation for missed work and future changes in your work capabilities.

Industries with the highest rates of non-fatal injuries or illnesses per full-time employees include:

• Healthcare and social assistance, with a rate of 6.9 per 100
• Agriculture/fishing/forestry/hunting, with a rate of 4.3 per 100
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation, with a rate of 3.8 per 100
• Transportation and warehousing, with a rate of 3.7 per 100
• Manufacturing, with a rate of 3.4 per 100

Our knowledgeable team of work comp lawyers has experience helping workers in many different industries recoup financial losses through the Indiana workers’ compensation system.

Indiana also experienced a total of 158 work-related fatalities in one recent year. Industries with the highest numbers of worker fatalities included:

• Construction
• Transportation/warehousing
• Agriculture/fishing/forestry/hunting
• Manufacturing
• Administrative and waste services.

After sustaining a work injury or occupational illness, you have a limited window if opportunity to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Under §22-3-3-3 of the Indiana Code, you must file a compensation claim with the Workers’ Compensation Board within two years of the date of a workplace accident or two years from the date of a worker’s death in the event of a fatal accident.

If your employer accepts your work injury or occupational disease claim but later stops payment, you have two years from the last payment date to file your claim with the board. Filing a claim after the deadline will usually mean the loss of your right to demand workers’ comp benefits from your employer.

The Types of Workplace Injuries Our Indianapolis Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Can Help You With

At Klezmer Maudlin, PC, our Indianapolis injured workers lawyers represent hardworking people who have suffered injuries or illnesses in workplaces accidents such as:

• Construction accidents – these range from falls to scaffolding collapse to equipment accidents and more.
• Service industry accidents – may include falls on slippery surfaces, burns and cuts, repetitive movement injuries and more.
• Forklift accidents – can happen when the forklift impacts a worker or rolls over and injures the driver.
• Warehouse/factory accidents – may involve falling items, machinery injuries, and more.
• Motor vehicle accidents – when a worker must drive during their job, if they are involved in a crash, workers’ comp may apply.
• Slip and fall accidents – these can happen on any job site and can lead to serious and life-long complications.
• Third-party accidents – when another person or company (not your employer) causes your injuries, you may have additional rights to receive payment.

We can pursue the full scope of benefits and financial compensation you need after you have suffered injuries or illnesses like:

• Broken bones
• Burns
• Repetitive stress injuries
• Overexertion
• Herniated spinal discs
• Lacerations, abrasions, and avulsions/degloving injuries
• Electrocution
• Crush injuries
• Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injury
• Nerve damage and paralysis
• Vision or hearing loss
• Amputation
• Toxic exposure
• Cancer
• Infectious diseases, such as COVID-19

No matter what injury or illness you may have suffered due to your work, our workers’ compensation attorneys will fight tirelessly for the financial resources and support you need for your recovery.

You Do Not Need to Take On Your Employer or the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Company on Your Own

Because most employers in Indiana must provide their employees with workers’ compensation benefits in the event of a work injury or occupational illness, they usually have workers’ compensation insurance providers or claims administrators to consider, pay, and manage workers’ benefits. Therefore, when you request workers’ compensation benefits from your employer, you will likely deal with an insurance company or claims administration company.

Although a work-related injury or illness usually entitles an employee to workers’ compensation benefits, many employees have difficulty convincing the insurance or claims administration company to approve their claim and pay them the  full benefits and compensation they deserve. This is where we can help.

If you have been denied benefits, you may have options. Remember that you do not have to fight the insurance company on your own. Turn to a dedicated workers’ compensation lawyer at Klezmer Maudlin, PC to go to battle for you.

Some of the important reasons why you should partner with an Indianapolis workers’ compensation attorney at Klezmer Maudlin, PC include:

• The insurance company’s interest does not align with your interests: While you need to receive the full scope of benefits and financial compensation available to you under the workers’ compensation system, the insurance company’s goal is to minimize the amount of money it must spend on your benefits. As a result, insurers will look for any reason to refuse to pay certain benefits. Or they may deny or terminate your workers’ compensation claim without a legitimate excuse. A workers’ compensation lawyer can challenge the insurer’s actions and aggressively pursue the financial benefits you deserve.
• Insurance adjusters receive training to get you to act against your interests: An adjuster might contact you to ask you how you feel or request a written statement or pose questions about the accident and your injuries. They will listen carefully for anything you might say that they can later use to argue that you have not been seriously injured or that you can return to work.
• Insurers often investigate workers’ compensation claimants: If you claim that a work-related injury or illness disabled you, the insurance company may closely watch you for any evidence to undercut your claim. They may require you to undergo independent medical exams, monitor your social media accounts to see you traveling or engaging in physical activities, or even hire private investigators to catch you performing daily activities like mowing the lawn. A determined work comp lawyer can protect you from inadvertently jeopardizing your claim.

What to Do After a Workplace Injury

When you have suffered a work injury or an occupational illness on the job in Indianapolis, what steps should you take to protect your rights for workers’ compensation benefits?

Ideally, you should:

• Seek medical attention as soon as possible to document a diagnosis for your injuries or medical condition. Remember, when your injury or illness is work-related, your employer will likely require you to select a doctor from a list of approved providers.
• Gather evidence from the workplace accident, such as taking photos or video of the scene and talking to co-workers or other individuals who witnessed the accident.
• Promptly notify your employer that you suffered a workplace injury or illness so your employer can forward your claim to its workers’ compensation insurer or claims administrator.
• Keep copies of your pay stubs or wage/income records, as well as copies of any bills, invoices, or receipts for expenses you incur due to your work injury.
• Follow your medical provider’s treatment plan and instructions. Don’t skip physical therapy or try to minimize your daily issues because the insurer will assume your injuries are not serious or long-lasting.

Finally, speak with a Klezmer Maudlin Indianapolis workers’ compensation lawyer to learn more about your workers’ compensation rights and to discuss the next steps toward receiving the full benefits and compensation you deserve.