Employees have rights, but sometimes their inaction can cause those rights to be forfeited. One example is workers’ comp claims. In Baltimore, workers’ comp law allows for the rejection of claims if they are filed past a certain deadline. You can protect your rights by acting quickly. As soon as a work-related injury occurs, you should notify your supervisor that you must leave work to seek medical attention . You have the right to visit a doctor of your choosing. It isn’t necessary to restrict your medical care to employer-approved doctors.

At the hospital, inform every healthcare provider who evaluates and treats you that your injury is work-related. Ask that your medical records reflect this fact. Save all documents pertaining to your medical care, including co-pay receipts and discharge instructions. You should file a formal workers’ comp insurance claim soon after receiving medical care. Then, call a lawyer who can effectively advocate on your behalf. Your attorney can help you receive all the benefits you’re entitled to, and appeal your claim if necessary.

Workers’ compensation insurance protects employers from the financial cost of workplace injuries for their employees, but what about non-employees who are injured while on a job for you? When working with independent contractors, issues of injuries and workers’ comp law in Baltimore become more complex. Consulting with a workers’ compensation attorney can help you understand your rights.

Your liability for non-employee injuries is determined by several different factors. The first is whether you correctly classify the injured party as a non-employee or if he or she should have been classified as an employee and covered by your workers’ compensation coverage. For a true independent contractor, you cannot provide workers’ compensation coverage but the contractor can sue you, if he or she can provide that your negligence contributed to his or her injury. If the worker should have been an employee, you may be required to pay unpaid past benefits as well as injury compensation. Even if your independent contractor has his or her own insurance, you can be sued if your negligence was a factor in the injury. Because of the complexity of workers’ comp laws, you should consult with an attorney immediately after a non-employee injury occurs.

Violence can happen at any workplace, but healthcare workers have a greater risk than most. They are the most assaulted workers in the country—in fact, 60% of assaults in the workplace happen to healthcare workers. If you are the victim of an assault at work, consult a workers’ compensation attorney in Baltimore to find out what your rights are. In addition to providing you with workers’ compensation, you may be entitled to other damages if your employer failed to take the necessary steps to create a safe environment.

Why is violence so pervasive in healthcare?

There are many risk factors that contribute to violence in the healthcare setting. One is the emotionally charged environment in healthcare, particularly when patients and their loved ones are experiencing life or death emergencies. Patients may also come in with mental health issues and maybe using drugs that can impact their thinking and their behavior. Increased demand on the healthcare system can further exacerbate the stress of the workplace and make the environment even more volatile.

Who is most at risk for violence?

Women are most at risk for being the victims of workplace violence. Approximately 80% of healthcare workers who take time off from work for injuries and illnesses that occur because of violence at work are women. Across all industries, women account for only 39% of workplace violence injuries. Women also make up the majority of the healthcare workforce, which partially accounts for why they are so frequently the targets of violence.

What should you do if you are the victim of workplace violence?

After an incident of workplace violence, report the assault immediately. In addition to working with your employer to address the violence, consider talking to a workers’ compensation attorney or a personal injury lawyer. You may need long-term medical care for both physical and psychological trauma that may be covered by workers’ compensation insurance, and you may be eligible to receive other damages if your employer’s negligence contributed to the violent incident.

Concussions are a common car accident injury that can lead to problems that may not always be immediately obvious. Because concussions can cause symptoms that can last indefinitely without treatment, it is important to get a diagnosis as soon as possible. If you are in a car accident in Baltimore and believe that you could have a concussion or another injury, speak to an accident attorney to find out what your rights are for compensation. If you experience any of the symptoms of a concussion, visit the emergency room as soon as possible.

Headache

Because concussions are caused by impacts to the head, headaches are a common symptom. Headaches caused by concussions can be dull and aching, or they may be severe. Some people experience a feeling of pressure in their heads more than a traditional kind of headache pain. Any time you have a headache or pressure in your skull after an impact to the head, you should be evaluated to see if you have a brain injury like a concussion.

Confusion

With a concussion, many people describe feeling dazed, confused, or as through they are walking around in a fog. They may also have amnesia about the car accident and the events immediately before and after it. Speech may be slurred, and they may give delayed responses in conversations. These problems can persist after a concussion and turn into long-term concentration problems and memory issues.

Psychological Changes

After a concussion, many people experience uncharacteristic irritability, excessive crying, depression, and sleep disturbances. Personality changes may also occur. These symptoms frequently don’t appear immediately after the car accident injury but in the days that follow, and they can persist well into the future. For some people, these symptoms are the only ones that are experienced. After a head injury, any psychological or behavioral changes should be reported to a doctor, who can determine if an injury such as a concussion is to blame.

One of the most common causes for declining work productivity and missed work days is back pain. Workers’ comp law allows Baltimore employees to receive workers’ compensation benefits for injuries sustained while on the job , but avoiding these injuries is certainly preferable. Watch this featured video to learn how you can protect your back while lifting heavy items.

This video suggests estimating the weight of the item and identifying the best gripping areas before you try to lift it. You should also make sure you have a clear walking path to the item’s destination. If the item is too heavy or bulky, it’s a good idea to ask someone else to help you. Or, use a mechanical lifting aid. Keep the item close to your body as you lift and carry it. And remember to contact a workers’ comp attorney promptly if you do become injured and you have concerns about your rights under workers’ comp law.

If you work in an environment in which you could potentially be exposed to blood-borne pathogens, then your employer has the responsibility to take certain precautions for your safety. After you’re exposed to pathogens, consider calling a workers’ compensation attorney in Baltimore to see if you should consider legal action.

To find out about the steps both you and your employer must take to protect yourself from pathogen exposure, watch this video. Your employer must provide adequate training to you so that you reduce your risk of exposure and have a procedure in place to deal with a potential exposure should it occur. If you become ill because of pathogen exposure at work, you may have a workers’ compensation claim. Contact a workers’ comp attorney as soon as possible after the incident to protect your rights.

After a car accident, shock is one of the serious conditions that can occur. This life-threatening condition requires immediate treatment, and if you hire an accident attorney in Baltimore to represent you in an injury case, he or she will ask if you were treated for shock as part of preparing for your lawsuit.

Shock occurs when the oxygen that is contained in the blood is not adequate to support the cells. It is associated with low blood pressure and can eventually lead to organ failure if it is not treated quickly. It is possible to have long-term or permanent injuries associated with shock if treatment is delayed. If you experience shock after a car accident, the emergency medical team may use oxygen therapy, IV fluids, blood transfusions, and medications to constrict your blood vessels to attempt to manage the condition.

If you file a workers’ comp claim in Baltimore , and you are notified that it has been denied, you have the option to appeal. Although you are not required by law to have an attorney, hiring an experienced workers’ comp lawyer make it easier to navigate the system and understand your rights, especially during an appeal. If your claim has been denied and you’re considering an appeal, here is what you need to know.

You must request a new hearing.

After a workers’ comp claim is denied by the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission, your attorney can determine if an appeal is appropriate. If it is, then your attorney will request a new hearing by submitting an Issues Form, which details all of the parts of your claim you believe were incorrectly decided. Once this form is filed, you will be given a hearing date, and your attorney will argue your appeal in front of a Commissioner. Your employer will also be present with an attorney to make his or her case. After hearing both sides, the Commissioner will issue a new ruling.

You can request a rehearing if the first appeal fails.

If the Commissioner rules against you in the first appeal, your attorney can file a Request for Rehearing in writing within 15 days. Rehearings are often difficult to get and are usually reserved for cases in which there was a legal error or in which new information has surfaced that the Commissioner should consider in regards to your case. Without meeting these conditions, you are not likely to be successful in getting a rehearing.

You can appeal your case to the Circuit Court.

If your rehearing request is denied, your attorney can file for a hearing by the Circuit Court. It is also possible to file a Circuit Court case at the same time as you request a rehearing. If this happens, the Circuit Court decision takes precedence over the rehearing. Circuit Court cases open with the assumption that the initial decision was correct, so your attorney will need to demonstrate the ways in which the Commission made an error. Your employer’s attorney will also present his or her side of the case in Circuit Court.

The effects from car accident injuries can linger for months. Sometimes, they may even be permanent. If you were in a car accident and now have disfiguring scars, it’s well worth your time to speak with an accident lawyer in Baltimore about your legal right to seek compensation. Because of the permanent nature of your disfigurement, higher compensation is possible. In addition to pain and suffering damages, you may seek compensation to cover the cost of scar revision surgery.

Deciding to Have Scar Revision Surgery

Unfortunately, not all severe scars can be improved through surgery and no scar can be completely “erased.” Disfiguring scars such as keloid, hypertrophic, and contracture scars are the most common types to be treated surgically. It’s best to speak with a surgeon about the possibility of scar revision while your claim is still pending or even before your accident lawyer files it. If it isn’t possible to improve the disfigurement, you might seek greater compensation for the loss of earning capacity and other long-term problems. If scar revision is right for you, the medical provider will determine which type of procedure would be most effective. For instance, Z-plasty and other tissue rearrangement techniques may be used for contracture scars. This approach can reduce the pressure that these scars exert. Tissue expansion and skin grafts are other possibilities.

Preparing for the Surgery

Like all medical treatments, scar revision is not without potential risks. It’s important that you fully understand the potential risks and discuss your concerns with the surgeon. Your specific preparation instructions will depend on the type of procedure and your overall health. You may be asked to stop taking certain medicines or supplements and, if you smoke, you will need to quit. You should also have a recovery plan in place before you have the procedure.

Recovering from the Procedure

Every patient’s recovery is different and you should always follow the instructions provided by your care team. In general, patients can expect to rest at home while they recover. Someone may need to assist you for a few days. Avoid consuming alcohol and only resume driving, exercising, and similar activities once your doctor clears you to do so.