When employees are injured on the job or as a result of the duties of their job, they are generally entitled to pay from their employer. Worker’s compensation lawyer G. Turner Howard III, based in Knoxville , Tennessee , helps his clients understand their benefits and assists them in getting the financial restitution they deserve. Whether you need assistance dealing with the insurance company or want to file a worker’s compensation lawsuit, our Knoxville attorney will help protect your rights.
Each and every employer with five or more employees in Tennessee must have workers’ compensation insurance according to the laws of the state.
Workers’ compensation insurance protects employers financially in the event of an employee’s work-related injury. These funds are allotted to provide the following to injured workers:
Most cases involving a workers’ compensation lawsuit filed in Knoxville or elsewhere in the state of Tennessee entitle employees to financial compensation in the event of the following types of injury:
If you have suffered a work-related injury that falls into one or a few of the categories listed above, you should be entitled to compensation from your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. If your employer is not properly insured, or you are having difficulty getting the funds you deserve, file a workers’ compensation lawsuit with the help of lawyer G. Turner Howard III in Knoxville , Tennessee.
If you are injured on the job and are entitled to the benefits of workers’ compensation in Tennessee, you must file a claim either verbally or in writing to your employer within one working day of knowing about the injury. Your employer will then submit the claim to the workers’ compensation insurance company.
According to Tennessee law, your employer should have a written confirmation of the details of the incident and your work history within two working days of your submitting notice. The insurance company will then work to verify the information provided; by law, a decision regarding your benefits should be reached within 15 working days.
Compensation payments should be received within 15 days of giving notice of your injury, and reimbursement for medical treatment costs is to be paid within 45 days of the receipt of each bill.
Tennessee workers’ compensation laws delineate all workers' compensation procedures and time limits to ensure that your workers’ compensation claim is handled properly and efficiently. However, there are complications that can arise throughout the claims process.
If your claim is denied, the insurance company shall provide an explanation supported by the results of their claim investigation. If the insurance company does not provide an adequate or accurate explanation as to why they are underpaying or not paying out for your claim, you may be able to file an insurance bad faith lawsuit against the company. Filing this type of civil lawsuit will allow you to pursue compensation you are rightfully entitled to from the insurance company.
If you are having difficulty getting the funds to which you are entitled for your work-related injury, have had a claim wrongfully denied by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company, or just need an expert legal opinion, contact our personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyer in Knoxville, Tennessee. G. Turner Howard III has extensive experience in working with insurance companies and can get you fair restitution for your injuries.
G. Turner Howard III, our workers’ compensation lawyer in Knoxville, Tennessee, writes about requirements for a workers’ compensation lawsuit and answers some of his clients’ most frequently asked questions:
First, you must officially be "within the course and scope of your employment" when injured or you won't be entitled to workers' compensation benefits. Second, you must report your injury immediately to your supervisor. Make sure he or she fills out a "first report of work injury."
Yes. Your employer must provide a panel of three physicians for you to choose from. That may not be practical in the event of an emergency, in which case an emergency room physician or company nurse may first treat you. If you choose a physician not approved by your employer, workers' compensation will not pay for that treatment.
Yes, you receive 66.6 percent of your weekly wage after you have been out of work for 2 consecutive weeks and until your doctor releases you from care.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get. In Tennessee, employment law allows your employer to fire you for most any reason or for no reason. But your company can't fire you for hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer. In fact, you may be safer all the way around by retaining an attorney early in the process to protect your rights.
By law, your workers' compensation lawyer can only take 20 percent of your gross settlement. This means, for example, if you settle for $50,000, your attorney will be paid 20 percent of $50,000, or $10,000.
No.
Depending on your situation, your case will take at least six months or until your treating physician releases you to return to work.
This is a difficult question to answer since the laws that govern workers' compensation are quite complex. But according to Tennessee workers’ compensation laws, a typical settlement will factor in your workers' compensation rate (two-thirds of your weekly wage) times the impairment rating your physician gives you times a multiplier determined by whether you return to work and, if so, the wage at which you return.
It can and, most of the time, does. If you settle for a certain amount of money, you can forfeit future medical care under workers' compensation through buying it out upfront. The choice is yours. According to Tennessee workers’ compensation laws, if a judge tries your case and finds that you were injured on the job, you are automatically granted lifetime future medicals. A competent attorney can help you make the decision that’s best for you.
Yes, you can, under certain rare circumstances.
If you simply aggravate an old injury, based on which you have already settled a prior case, you generally can't reopen your case; however, you may, if you kept your future medicals open, receive treatment for that aggravation. If you suffer a new or fresh injury to another area of your body (sometimes, to the same area of your body), such injury will warrant the opening of a new case.
Because you deserve the help of a skilled workers’ compensation lawyer when filing your lawsuit we encourage you contact the Knoxville offices of G. Turner Howard III today. He can help you understand workers’ compensation laws in our state as they apply to your case and will work to get you the financial assistance you are entitled to from your employer’s insurance company.
Fill in the form below to find out more about our workers’ compensation lawyer and filing a lawsuit i n Knoxville , Tennessee.
G. Turner Howard III
Attorney At Law
5915 Casey Drive
P. O. Box 51904
Knoxville, Tennessee 37950
Toll Free: 877-496-6580
Fax: 865-584-5474