Should I Sign Any Paperwork

Transcription

Should you sign any settlement documents for the insurance company to pay your impairment ready? The answer to this question is almost always No, you should not have to sign anything. Most of the time when the insurance company has admitted your claim is work related, and their doctor gives you a permanent impairment rating. They will pay you this and you should not have to sign any paperwork. There are two examples I want to discuss with you. The first one is if you have a scheduled member injury, which is an injury to your hand, arm, leg, foot, eyes, or ears then the insurance company should pay what their doctor says your impairment rating is without any questions and without signing any settlement documents. The second example is occasionally, depending upon who your employer is and their insurance company if you've sustained an industrial or unscheduled member injury, like an injury to your back, neck, shoulder, hip, or other body as a whole condition and do not have any permanent restrictions, have returned to your normal job and are now making the same or more money, then sometimes they will not pay your impairment rating, or even refuse to request one. If this happens, they could make a small offer in order for you to settle your case. But before agreeing to anything, I recommend that you contact an experienced workers compensation attorney to discuss the specific facts in your case before you discuss potential settlement. Keep in mind that often you will receive a lump sum for part of your impairment rating and then the rest will be paid weekly. Generally, permanent Workers Compensation benefits are to be paid lump sum back to the date you last received a workers compensation check, which is what we call accrued benefits after that is paid and you will be paid weekly for a number of weeks owed. There are ways to receive the full amount all at once, but generally it requires you to sign away your rights and close your file. Meaning that you are on your own for medical care and have no right to review or reopen your case.