Philadelphia Head Injury Workers’ Comp Attorney
Head injuries are some of the most severe injuries you could face on the job. These injuries could take you out of your job for a limited time while you recover, but many make it hard to return to that job at all. Especially if you suffered a traumatic brain injury, you could be left with substantial disabilities.
Our lawyers can represent you in your Workers’ Comp claim and fight to get you benefits for your lost earnings, your medical bills, and potentially even some damages for additional losses if you experienced lost sight or hearing or if you faced substantial facial scarring from your head injury.
Call our Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Cardamone Law by dialing (267) 651-7945 for a free case evaluation.
When to Work with a Workers’ Comp Lawyer for a Head Injury in Philadelphia
If you were hurt at work, you should call a lawyer as soon as you can. Our Pennsylvania head injury Workers’ Comp attorneys work tirelessly to help injured workers get compensation from their employers’ insurance carriers, and we know that the process can be daunting for injured workers to deal with. Not only is reporting your injury and filling out any necessary paperwork going to be difficult with a substantial head injury, but it is almost impossible to pursue a Workers’ Comp case on your own without help from Workers’ Comp lawyers once the case goes before a judge.
Filing a petition with a Workers’ Comp Judge is often the only way to get benefits paid after your employer’s insurance carrier rejects your claim, and these petitions require the proper language and information to help the judge accept your claim. Once the case moves to a hearing, you will also have to provide medical information and evidence from doctor’s visits that our lawyers can help you arrange. You may also need depositions to prove what happened and show the judge that your injury was truly work-related before any benefits can be paid.
Settling a Workers’ Comp claim is also often a difficult road, as it requires negotiation with the insurance carrier. With many head injuries, your damages and medical expenses might change over time, and it is important to account for these potential costs in your settlement, as you cannot go back and claim more money later after a compromise and release settlement. Our lawyers can help make your one bite at the apple worth it.
Types of Work-Related Head Injuries that Qualify for Workers’ Comp in Philly
Workers’ Comp pays benefits to employees who sustain all kinds of injuries on the job. As long as the injury is “work-related,” meaning it happened while performing your work tasks, then you should be entitled to Workers’ Comp benefits. There are many potential head injuries you could face, but the following are some of the common ones that Workers’ Comp can cover.
Concussions
Falling and hitting your head, bumping it on a low overhang, or hitting your head during a car crash could result in a concussion. This is considered a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and can result in short-term memory loss, changes in mood, confusion, and other effects. In any case, people with concussions often cannot return to work for a few days or weeks while they heal up, depending on the demands of their jobs. This could entitle you to benefits during that period.
If you sustain enough concussions over time, they could result in more serious disorders or require you to sit out certain dangerous work tasks, potentially requiring a career change. This could result in benefits equal to 2/3 of your reduced income if the reduction in income is linked to your concussion.
CTE
As mentioned, repeat concussions can result in worse brain conditions. CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is one of these. This degenerative brain condition often results in early symptoms akin to dementia and may make it harder to work to support yourself going forward.
TBI
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) result from serious blows to the head and can be much worse than concussions. Whereas concussions are mild TBIs that could result in short-term time away from work, TBIs often result in total lifestyle changes, potentially including a need for home nursing care, help around the house, and a total inability to work anymore. Depending on the seriousness of your TBI, you might also have memory loss or trouble performing tasks you used to be able to do, potentially affecting your pay and resulting in wage-loss benefits.
Medical care costs can be high for these injuries as well, and they should all be paid through Workers’ Comp for work-related TBIs, too.
Facial and Skull Injuries
Injuries to the face or skull can require substantial medical care to treat, and all care costs should be covered by Workers’ Comp if the injuries were work-related. Facial scarring can also result in additional “specific loss” benefits to pay you for what could be considered a permanent loss in the form of facial scarring.
Lost Vision or Hearing
Damage to certain areas of the brain could cause lost vision or hearing, and serious injuries to the face and head could also put out an eye or result in a lost ear. In any case, if your vision or hearing is lost because of a head injury at work, this could also result in specific loss benefits to pay you on top of the other benefits you receive.
Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries
Other injuries to the brain might not come from direct head injuries, but they can nonetheless affect your life going forward. Electrocution, exposure to certain chemicals/gasses, and other exposure to dangerous conditions at work can all result in hypoxic or anoxic brain injuries or other non-traumatic brain injuries, potentially requiring Workers’ Comp benefits.
Call Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Head Injuries in Philadelphia Today
If you suffered a head injury at work, call Cardamone Law’s Philadelphia head injury Workers’ Comp lawyers today at (267) 651-7945.