Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Attorney Joshua Borken
If you or someone you know has been injured in proximity to welding, it could have a long-term impact on your health, safety, and peace of mind.
Contact the Law Office of Joshua Borken so you can find the best attorney for your case or claim.
An attorney can help you navigate the medical fees, insurance claims, and potential lawsuit following the injury.
We can also help you negotiate with the responsible parties so you aren’t pressured into signing documents that clear them of responsibility.
What should you do after a welding injury?
The first thing you should do after a welding injury is to make sure you are safe. Remove yourself from the environment and go to the hospital.
Not only can medical professionals treat the injury and begin any immediate treatment to limit the scope of the damage, going to the hospital creates a record of your injuries. Depending on the nature of the incident, that evidence can help prove your case.
As soon as you are safe, contact an attorney. They can tell you what your next steps should be.
Getting injured can be overwhelming, and some employers may use the opportunity to pressure you into signing waivers or agreements that you won’t pursue legal action against them. Our attorneys can help you navigate through the documents and know which ones to avoid signing.
Just knowing you have an attorney on your side can help you feel less stressed. Informing the other parties you have an attorney can also give you a bit of breathing room as you start to recover.
Whether you were involved in an accident that required emergency medical care or you have worked at a construction site with long-term safety concerns, don’t sign any documentation about responsibility or waivers without an attorney present.
Even if the company isn’t acting against your interests directly, these documents are designed to protect only themselves.
During the entire process, maintain thorough records. Take pictures of your injuries before and after treatment. Take pictures of the worksite if possible. Write down when you speak to a manager, a coworker, or a representative from the company about the incident.
Writing down all of these small details help give weight to future legal action and establish your credibility.
Why should you contact a lawyer?
Attorneys don’t just help you out in a courtroom. We can help you pursue claims against the parties responsible for dangerous working conditions so your injuries aren’t swept under the rug.
This can include:
Getting you compensation for workplace negligence
If your employers are creating unsafe working conditions, they should be made to stop.
They should also be held responsible for any medical costs of injuries that resulted from negligence. But medical expenses aren’t the only cost of severe injuries. You may be out of work while you are recovering or be unable to work in welding for several months following an injury.
Workers compensation claims can even help cover expenses while you’re recovering, regardless of who is found responsible at the end of the legal action.
An attorney can help you file this claim so you have more immediate relief.
Making injury claims based on your state’s laws
States have different processes for filing injury claims. There are also a lot of different moving parts.
Your health insurance may refuse to pay when there is sufficient evidence that the company is responsible for a workplace accident, and the company may be fighting that claim.
An attorney can respond to the parties within the right time frames and according to state requirements.
Helping you through the workers’ compensation process.
Every state and circumstance has a slightly different process. As a general rule, you need to notify a manager about a workplace accident or hazard in thirty days. Every claim has a statute of limitations, and waiting to take legal action weakens your claim.
But there is no clear to-do list for filing a claim and pursuing legal action. Once you have an attorney, they can file the appropriate documents and take the next steps in the process. They can also tell you what to expect in the next weeks and months following your welding injury.
Having a plan, especially in the middle of healing from an injury, will make the experience a lot less stressful.
No matter the severity of your welding injury, an attorney can help you pursue the correct legal action. Injuries carry lasting effects through medical bills, lost mobility or eyesight, and time off of work.
Contact us at the Law Office of Joshua Borken, and we can help you with your next steps.