Knoxville Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Protecting Injured Employees’ Rights
Experienced workers’ compensation attorneys advocate on behalf of those injured in workplace accidents throughout Tennessee
Workers’ compensation is a state program that provides partial wage replacement disability payments and medical expenses to employees who have been injured during the course of their regular work tasks, or who have developed an occupational disease from environmental exposure or repetitive tasks at work. Tennessee employers are required by law to have workers’ compensation insurance coverage.
At the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, our experienced Knoxville workers’ compensation attorneys know exactly what it takes to help our clients when they have a dispute with their employer’s workers’ compensation insurer, or with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for Tennessee. We stop at nothing to make sure that you receive all of the compensation to which you are entitled when you have been injured on the job.
Common questions about workers’ compensation in Tennessee
The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Bureau of Workers' Compensation has certain guidelines that workers must follow when they have been hurt at work. Here are some of the questions that our Knoxville workers’ compensation lawyers hear the most:
Q: What is the time limit for reporting a workplace injury?
A: Employees have 30 calendar days from when they had (or should have had) knowledge of their injury to report it to their employer.
Q: Can my employer fire me because I reported an injury?
A: An employer is prohibited by law from firing an employee because they reported a workplace injury. You may want to consult an attorney right away if you believe that your employer fired you because you were injured at work.
Q: How much will it cost me to hire a workers' compensation attorney in Knoxville?
A: Tennessee state law governs the rate that workers' compensation attorneys can charge, which is limited to no more than 20 percent of the total amount of compensation recovered. There may be additional costs that your lawyer might incur that you would be responsible for, but you may discuss fees with your attorney at your initial consultation and get an estimate of how much you might expect to pay in additional expenses.
If you have sustained a permanent injury that required surgery and may have a negative impact on your ability to continue to perform the duties of your job, if your workers' compensation claim was denied by your employer's insurer, or if you are facing any kind of dispute with regard to your workers' compensation benefits, a knowledgeable Knoxville workers' compensation attorney from the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm can represent you. Keep in mind that if you must appear before the state workers' compensation bureau, your employer's insurer will have legal representation. Unless you want to go in alone against a high-powered corporate attorney whose one job is to protect their company's profits and pay you as little as possible, then you will do well to hire your own lawyer.
Other options for recovering the compensation you deserve
If the cause of your workplace injury was a motor vehicle accident that was caused by another driver who was not you employer or coworker, from using defective equipment, or a slip and fall accident at a work site not owned or controlled by your employer, you may be able to file a third party personal injury lawsuit. You may be able to take legal action against the negligent driver who caused the accident, the manufacturer of the defective equipment or the owner of the work site. With a personal injury lawsuit, you may be able to recover far more than you could from the state workers' compensation program, which typically covers 2/3 of your regular pay. In a successful personal injury settlement, you might receive compensation for your total lost wages and other, non-economic losses such as pain and suffering and diminished earning capacity.
The Knoxville legal team at the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm is ready to stand up for you and protect your right to all of the compensation you have earned.
Let Rocky's team protect your right to fair compensation
If you are an injured worker facing a dispute over workers' compensation benefits, you are welcome to call Rocky at 615-425-2500 or use our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation. The Rocky McElhaney Law Firm represents clients throughout the state of Tennessee.