Kansas City Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Kansas City employees work hard and give their best to their employers. When they sustain injuries on the job, they expect workers’ compensation insurance to cushion the blow by providing compensation for their lost income and medical costs. Workers’ compensation serves the dual purpose of preventing financial hardship for workers injured on the job while also protecting employers from the threat of lawsuits. However, workers’ compensation comes from insurance companies with profits as their motives. They sometimes deny claims due to paperwork or process errors or dispute the validity of the injury or its cause.

Instead of risking something as critical as your income and medical expenses while healing from a workplace injury, call the Kansas City workers’ compensation attorneys at Miller & Hine to navigate your claim for the best possible outcome.

Why Choose Miller & Hine as Your Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Kansas City?

Miller & Hine have over five decades of combined experience in injury claims in Missouri, including navigating Kansas City workers’ compensation claims for injured employees. Our Kansas City personal injury attorneys offer significant advantages to your case including the following:

• We never charge injury victims upfront fees. Instead, we offer free case evaluations and only take our payment after we recover your compensation
• Your attorney is well-practiced and experienced in this area of injury law and will be with you throughout the process
• We are a results-oriented law firm that doesn’t take a formulaic approach if it won’t get you the best results. Instead, we tailor every case with a personalized strategy
• We have a history of satisfied clients and many years of experience navigating Missouri workers’ compensation claims

You deserve time to heal and recover from your Kansas City work injury. Let our law firm work for you.

What Do I Need to Do After I Injure Myself at Work?

Workplace injuries may be sudden, traumatic, and painful, or they may develop over time due to exertion, repetitive motion, or toxic exposures. As soon as you’ve suffered a sudden injury or noticed symptoms of a workplace injury or illness, it’s critical to take immediate steps to protect your physical and financial future.

After a workplace injury, do the following:

• Use your cell phone camera or ask an uninjured coworker to use theirs for you to call 911 for an ambulance or call someone who can transport you to an emergency room
• While you wait, use your phone’s camera to snap photos of your injury if it’s visible and photograph anything relevant to the injury like a broken ladder or fallen shelf
• Ask your supervisor to fill out an accident report
• Have a complete medical evaluation and tell the doctor about any symptoms you experience, even if they’re minor
• Be sure to report the injury directly to your employer in writing, including your name and the date, time, place, and nature of the injury. If your employer doesn’t provide forms for this, you can print one from the Missouri Department of Labor website. You should report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. Failing to report the injury within 30 days disqualifies you from receiving workers’ compensation

You may see any doctor in the emergency room for your initial emergency treatment, but then choose a provider from your employer’s list for further care.

What Is the Process for Getting Workers’ Compensation?

You must report your injury to your employer in writing within 30 days of the date the injury occurred. After that, your employer has up to 30 days to file a First Report of Injury with the Division of Workers’ Compensation after receiving your written notice.

To ensure that your case goes smoothly, it’s best to hire an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer to begin gathering evidence to make a compelling case for your compensation. The Division schedules a hearing which proceeds similarly to a civil trial with your attorney present. At the hearing, an administrative law judge considers the evidence your side presents and any evidence disputing the claim that your employer’s insurance company brings forward before making an official decision on whether or not to approve your workers’ compensation claim.

What Portion of My Income and Medical Care Does Missouri Workers’ Compensation Pay?

Upon approval of your claim, workers’ compensation pays for your medical treatment as long as you see a provider from your employer’s list. If you have to travel to see a specialist on the list, you’ll receive compensation for your travel expenses.

Workers’ compensation in Missouri pays 66 ⅔% of your standard income if you have temporary total disability status and are unable to work. If you’re able to work on light duty, it pays 66 ⅔% of the difference between your regular pay and your light duty pay.

Workers’ compensation also pays compensation for total permanent disability, typically in a lump sum settlement, but you could also choose to receive periodic payments. It also pays death benefits to the family members of an employer who suffers a fatal work injury.

What Type of Workplace Injuries Do We Handle at Miller & Kline?

Some industries have more workers’ compensation claims than others due to the nature of the work and equipment used. For instance, construction, forestry, agriculture, production, retail, and the medical field are common in workers’ compensation claims in Kansas City, but an injury can happen in any workplace, even the safest office job. Common workplace injuries in workers’ compensation claims include the following:

• Fractures
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Soft tissue injuries to shoulders, knees, ankles, and wrists
• Burns
• Electrocutions
• Toxic exposures
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic amputations

Any injury that requires medical treatment and time away from work deserves compensation if it occurred while you were on the job.

What Causes Most Workplace Injuries in Kansas City?

Slip-and-fall accidents are the most common cause of workplace injuries. A slip and fall can happen in any workplace setting. Other causes of workplace injuries in Kansas City include:

• Transportation job traffic accidents
• Falls from heights
• Struck-by accidents (struck by falling objects or work vehicles/large equipment)
• Caught-between accidents
• Explosions
• Fires
• Electrocutions
• Toxic exposures
• Equipment injuries
• Repetitive motion injuries

Whether your injury occurred from a scaffolding collapse at a construction site or you tripped over a dangling cord in an office, you shouldn’t be left responsible for the expenses and lost pay.

Call the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Miller & Hine

As the victim of a workplace injury, your well-being and ability to support yourself and your family are at stake when making a workers’ compensation claim. Instead of leaving anything to chance, it’s best to be proactive in your claim by reaching out to the experienced Kansas City workers’ compensation lawyers at Miller & Hine.