Murfreesboro Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

As an injured worker, you have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits for medical coverage and partial wage replacement. However, not all claims move through the system smoothly, and injured workers must fight a stressful battle to secure their benefits while recovering from or adjusting to their work-related condition.

The Murfreesboro personal injury lawyers at Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers can help. We know the system inside and out, managing any potential challenges by your employer or their insurance company. If you have already experienced a denial, don’t give up. You may have grounds for an appeal, and we can navigate the appeals process.

Our lawyers are your top choice for getting the benefits you need and deserve

It makes sense that work injury victims expect to speak to a workers’ compensation lawyer when they respond to an attorney’s publicized offer of help. However, victims often end up working with attorneys’ assistants. That doesn’t happen when you call Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers. When you seek our help, we promise that your legal partner will be an experienced Murfreesboro workers’ compensation team who will answer your questions, address your concerns, and return your phone calls.

Our firm has the advantage of “inside knowledge.” Our attorneys once represented insurance companies and used this understanding of insurance company defense tactics to their client’s advantage. We also have comprehensive knowledge of Tennessee’s workers’ compensation laws. We know what benefits you are entitled to and focus on getting you what you deserve. We are here to take down any roadblocks your employer or the insurance company puts between you and your rightful compensation.

Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers is a firm comprising skilled attorneys and a team of compassionate individuals. We understand the stresses you face after sustaining a work injury, and our goal is to help you through the legalities and bureaucracy that can slow your financial recovery and add more stress to your life. Tennessee law says you have the right to receive benefits for a work-related injury, and we are ready to fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

We work closely with you to protect your benefits claim

Weir & Kestner will manage the details of filing and pursuing your benefits claim, but you can help your case by following the right procedures as soon as you are injured. Follow these recommendations:

Report your injury right away

Always report an on-the-job injury to a supervisor or employer as soon as possible and make sure the injury is reported in writing. If necessary, send your supervisor an email documenting the incident. Supervisory parties are responsible for reporting the injury to their workers’ compensation insurance company within one day.

Sometimes, circumstances prevent you from making an immediate report–for example, your accident may render you unconscious. You can still file. Tennessee workers’ compensation laws allow a 30-day reporting window.

Get medical care

Seek medical attention for your injury promptly. Severe injuries will likely require emergency care, but even if you do not need an ambulance, tell your employer you need to see a doctor. Your employer must provide a panel of at least three doctors you can choose to see

Contact Weir & Kestner to manage your claim

Once your health and safety have been secured, contact the Murfreesboro workers’ comp lawyers from Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers. We focus on moving your case through the process efficiently so you can receive your benefits. Your attorney will:

• Help you file your workers’ compensation claim to avoid incomplete or inaccurate information that could result in a delay or denial
• Protect you from unfair treatment for filing a worker’s comp claim, such as retaliation or dismissal
• Advocate for you should your employer or the insurance company challenge your claim
• Appeal a claim denial and continue the fight for your benefits
• Assist you in arranging a second opinion regarding your medical evaluation and disability determination
• Prepare you for doctor’s appointments and handle communication with your employer or the employer’s representative and insurance company

Filing a third-party claim

Your case may warrant action beyond the pursuit of workers’ compensation benefits. While workers’ compensation laws prevent you from suing your employer for a work injury, you may have grounds for a lawsuit if a third party’s negligence contributed to your accident.

For example, an employee might be involved in a car accident while making deliveries during work hours. If another driver’s negligence caused the accident, the other driver could be liable. A Murfreesboro workers’ comp lawyer can assist the employee in obtaining workers’ comp benefits for the injuries sustained and also pursue a third-party claim against the driver responsible for the accident.

Unfortunately, you may not fully recover from your injuries. If you are still too disabled to work after reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI), Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers can work to prove that you are permanently and disabled under Tennessee workers’ compensation law.

Our record of service stands out among other law firms

We provide you with the same aggressive, exceptional representation as “big city” firms, but with an important difference. Our team fights for you as an individual–a person–not as a case number. We want you to be comfortable as you sit in our offices and confident that we can bring your case to a favorable resolution, adding your results to our history of success.

Weir & Kestner is your strongest advocate for any kind of workers’ compensation claim

The Murfreesboro, TN, workers’ compensation lawyers from Weir & Kestner can manage any work injury case. Some injuries happen in an instant from an unexpected accident, while others develop over time from repetitive motions or environmental conditions. Whatever your situation, our attorneys can help.

Accident-caused injuries

Some occupations are more dangerous than others, but accidents can happen in any work situation. For example, those who work on construction sites or drive for a living are more likely to experience on-the-job accidents. Still, office workers, teachers, or hospital workers are not immune from slip-and-fall events or other freak incidents.

We can help you seek compensation for accident-caused injuries including, but not limited to:

• Burns
• Herniated discs or other damage to the back and neck
• Electrocution
• Broken bones
• Deep lacerations or amputations
• Spinal cord injuries, which can cause total or partial paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Heat stroke
• Damage to the eyes

Overuse injuries

Some injuries develop when workers’ job duties involve repetitive motions. The affected part of the body suffers strain from overuse. Long periods of lifting or hauling heavy equipment or even typing on a keyboard can cause damage. Injuries range from back and neck problems to soft tissue damage. Office workers may develop carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, or joint problems.

Job-related illnesses

Some work environments are unhealthy, and exposure to their elements can lead to illness. Older buildings, or even newer ones with leaks or construction defects, can be moldy. The presence of mold can lead to respiratory problems among workers. Lead paint, asbestos, or other carcinogens in a building’s materials can also cause deadly illnesses, such as mesothelioma and other cancers.

Psychological injuries

Tennessee’s workers’ compensation benefits extend to psychological conditions as long as victims can prove their mental distress is connected to a work-related situation. A Murfreesboro workers’ comp attorney from our team can help prove that connection. For example, you may have experienced a traumatic incident at work and, as a result, developed anxiety, sleep disturbances, or other disabling conditions.

Work-from-home injuries

Recent years have brought an increase in work-from-home employment situations. Workers’ compensation covers any injuries or conditions developed due to your work. This means you may be eligible for benefits even for injuries that occur in your home as you fulfill your work obligations.

Our Murfreesboro workers’ comp attorneys work hard to recover maximum compensation

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development details benefits through workers’ compensation. Benefits fall into two major categories: medical care and partial wage replacement.

Workers are entitled to medical coverage for any expenses connected to their injury as long as the authorized treating physician (ATP) relates those costs to the work injury. Interventions covered may include surgery, rehabilitation, medications, equipment (crutches or other apparatus), or psychological counseling, among other services. Medical benefits also cover public transportation, parking, and gas costs.

Your partial wage replacement can take different forms:

• Temporary disability benefits: If you have injuries you will recover from but cannot work during recovery time, your doctor will take you off work completely as you heal. In this situation, you are entitled to Total Temporary Disability (TTD). If your doctor determines you can work but limits your hours, or if your employer reduces your wages because of your reduced capacity, you can receive Partial Temporary Disability (PTD).
• Permanent disability benefits: If your injuries will not heal fully and will prevent you from returning to work or from working at your pre-injury level, you are entitled to Permanent Total Disability or Permanent Partial Disability (PTD and PPD, respectively), depending on your earning capacity.
• Death benefits: If a worker dies from a workplace injury or illness, surviving dependents are likely eligible for death benefits to replace lost wages.

Work with the trusted attorneys at Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers

Hurt at work? Your workers’ compensation attorney in Murfreesboro, TN, will fight to get you the benefits you are owed. We always focus on keeping you healthy and financially solvent. Contact us online or call (615) 285-6921.

We answer common questions about workers’ compensation claims in Murfreesboro

If you need answers to additional questions or want to schedule a free case consultation, please call (615) 285-6921. Our team of workers’ comp lawyers in Murfreesboro, TN, are ready to address your concerns.

When do I receive my first check?

Disability payments are due the eighth day after your doctor takes you off work for disability. If your condition lasts longer than 14 days, you get retro pay for the first week of your period of disability.

How often do I receive benefit checks?

You will receive checks bi-monthly, though some may receive weekly checks.

What will be the amount of my wage replacement checks?

Wage replacement benefits typically comprise two-thirds of your average weekly wages earned in the 52 weeks preceding your injury. Tennessee has a somewhat complicated schedule of compensation benefits that your attorney can review with you.

What if my employer does not carry workers’ compensation insurance?

All employers in the construction or coal-mining industries must carry workers’ compensation insurance if they have one or more employees. All other industry employers must carry insurance if they employ five or more workers.

If your employer is violating Tennessee law, Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers will investigate other sources of compensation, including a third-party lawsuit against your employer.

Helpful resources for injured workers in Murfreesboro, TN

Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers

• 416 D Medical Center Parkway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
• (615) 285-6921 – We are available 24/7
• Feel free to contact us online

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

• Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC)
• BWC phone number: 800-332-2667
• BWC contact page
• Next-Step Program for vocational recovery and workforce re-entry