People who own landscaping companies are supposed to insure you when you're working for them. Therefore, their insurance should cover your treatment expenses and a percentage of your salary when you get sick or get injured at work. You may also get a payout if you suffer a catastrophic injury. However, getting these payments is usually challenging because most employers and insurance providers are reluctant to compensate victims. Therefore, you want to consult a work injury lawyer to know the steps to follow when seeking compensation. In addition, they will want you to know the following before starting the compensation process.
What the Law States about Getting Compensation
Your company should keep records of the duties you perform, your working time, and your payments. In addition, they are supposed to file your related tax forms annually. This information will be part of the evidence your lawyer will require when filing your claim. Therefore, you should always ensure that your employer keeps accurate records and files your taxes forms as required. It is important to note that independent landscapers are not entitled to workers' compensation in some states. Therefore, if your employer does keep proper records, you might not have evidence to prove that you're an employed landscaper.
The Injuries You Might Sustain and the Importance of Legal Help
Landscaping can be a hazardous occupation. It involves landscaping features, installing and taking care of lawns, and pruning or removing trees, which can be very dangerous. In addition, some of the equipment used in landscaping can cause severe injuries that may even require amputation. You might also suffer fractured and broken or fractured bones, head injuries, and heatstroke.
Most of these injuries might require expensive medical treatment procedures or long-term care. In addition, they might keep you away from work for a long time. This will make you incur huge financial losses that will require considerable settlement. Therefore, there is a possibility that your company or their insurance company may not be willing to compensate you. That's why you need to consider hiring a legal advisor to represent you in your case. They will calculate the right value of your claim and negotiate for you to ensure you get all the payments you deserve.
If you sustain severe injuries when landscaping, you're not supposed to struggle with the financial losses alone. Instead, you need to file a compensation claim to enable you to get financial help to cover your losses. Consider enlisting the services of a workplace injury attorney so that they can fight for your rights and enable you to get a favorable settlement.