Frederick Law Enforcement Officers Injury Attorney
Police officers understand that their jobs are riskier than the average career choice. Protecting the public comes with a high level of stress and some inevitable dangers. It is good to know that when these brave workers are injured, they have options available to protect them and their families from the financial hardships that come with work-related injuries.
In Frederick, Maryland, law enforcement workers are entitled to recover compensation when they are hurt in the course of their employment. Although there is compensation is available, it is not always as easy to collect as one would hope.
If you are a Frederick law enforcement officer and you suffered an injury at work, contact Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP to discuss your options for collecting compensation. Our dedicated workers’ compensation attorneys understand how to navigate the workers’ compensation system and can help you get the benefits you need to support yourself and your family.
Call Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP today at 301-668-2100 to speak to an experienced Frederick, Maryland workers’ compensation attorney.
Will Workers’ Compensation Cover My Injuries Even if I Caused My Accident?
The good thing about workers’ compensation is that it is a system that is not fault-based. Not having to prove fault means that even if you did something careless, you can still recover. In this way, the workers’ compensation system works differently from the court system in Maryland regarding personal injury claims. If you suffered an injury outside of work and you wanted to file a lawsuit against a person who caused that injury, you would not be able to collect any damages if you were even partially at fault for your injuries.
Also, if you were injured at work, you do not have to show that your employer was in any way at fault to collect benefits.
There are still cases where the policy might not cover your injuries that occurred at work, but those cases are uncommon. For instance, if you were engaged in criminal conduct while at work and injured yourself while carrying out that criminal conduct, you will likely find that the policy will not apply to you.
My Workers’ Compensation Claim Was Denied: Why Would This Happen?
Unfortunately, sometimes even valid workers’ compensation claims are met with denials. There can be many reasons for the denial of benefits. For instance, the insurer may suspect that your injury did not happen on the job. Sometimes, it may be that the insurance company believes that the injury occurred earlier or that it happened when you were doing a personal activity, such as gardening, rather than at work.
Insurers also become skeptical when a person files multiple claims for workers’ compensation and will view subsequent requests with a certain level of scrutiny.
It is also possible that the insurer denied the claim in error.
If you believe that your claim should have been approved but instead faced a denial of benefits, contact a Frederick, Maryland workers’ compensation attorney.
What Should Workers’ Compensation Benefits Cover for a Frederick, Maryland Law Enforcement Officer?
Workers’ compensation is different from a personal injury lawsuit. As mentioned above, you do not have to prove someone else negligently caused your injuries. However, the compensation will often not be as high as it would be in a lawsuit. In a lawsuit, you can recover non-economic damages for your pain and suffering. Workers’ compensation benefits would not include these types of damages, even if your employer was at fault. Workers’ compensation is a basic trade-off that allows the system to help injured employees while protecting employers from expensive litigation. If you are wondering if you can sue your employer instead, the answer is typically “no.”
Still, workers’ compensation comes with many benefits for injured law enforcement officers, including coverage for:
- Medical care and rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Professional training in cases where the previous job is no longer a possibility because of the injury
- Funeral expenses and lost income for families of those killed in work-related accidents
In most cases, workers only recover two-thirds of their lost income. Law enforcement officers are treated differently in this regard, though, and can recover 100 percent of their lost earnings.
Law enforcement officers have another benefit, as well. While it is often difficult for employees to link illnesses to work, certain common diseases are assumed to be work-related for law enforcement workers. Because of the high stress involved in police work, officers will have less trouble proving their job caused diseases such as hypertension or heart disease.
Call Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP After an Injury on the Force in Frederick
The benefits offered by the workers’ compensation system are there to help law enforcement workers and their families through the difficult time following an on-the-job injury. At Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP, we are proud to help Frederick, Maryland’s brave law enforcement officers recover the compensation they need. Call us today at 301-668-2100 to speak with a Frederick, Maryland workers’ compensation attorney.
