Murfreesboro Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
Strong advocacy from Murfreesboro workers’ comp attorneys when employees are injured or become ill while working
Murfreesboro is home to many different types of employers. Some of the larger ones include car manufacturing, the local government, schools, healthcare, publishing, and insurance. There are many retail stores, restaurants, service businesses, and other for-profit and non-profit businesses. All employees who work for employers that carry workers’ compensation coverage are eligible to demand benefits if they are injured while working or suffer an occupational illness while working. At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers fight to ensure that workers receive their full medical benefits and their full temporary or permanent wage loss benefits. We’ve helped many employees receive the maximum compensation Tennessee law allows.
Rocky McElhaney Law Firm: Car Accident & Injury Lawyers
2805 Old Fort Parkway
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Phone: (615) 393-8583
How can we help?
- What is workers’ compensation?
- What are temporary disability benefits?
- What are permanent disability benefits?
- How does Rocky McElhaney Law Firm fight for injured employees in Murfreesboro?
- Do you file claims against all types of Murfreesboro employers?
- Do you handle all types of work injuries in Murfreesboro?
- Can I qualify for workers’ compensation if I have an occupational illness in Murfreesboro?
- Do you have a Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyer near me?
What is workers’ compensation?
Employees work to provide for themselves and their families. Their work helps their company function and provides goods and services for the community. When you can’t work due to any type of workplace accident or a job-related illness, you have the right to file a Tennessee workers’ compensation claim. Employers with five or more employees must have workers’ compensation insurance. Construction businesses must carry workers' compensation insurance if they have just one employee.
You do not need to prove that your employer was negligent. You have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim in Murfreesboro even if you were negligent.
There are a few eligibility requirements:
- Notice to the employer. You need to notify your employer or someone in a supervisory capacity that you were injured within 15 days of any accident.
- Your work status. You need to show that you were working within the scope of your employment when you were injured or became ill. You also need to show that you were an employee and not an independent contractor. You may be an employee – even if your employer says you’re a contractor – if your employer controls your work assignments.
- Your injuries. You need to show that your injuries or illnesses were caused by your job and not by activities outside of work.
Our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers are skilled at proving these requirements.
If you are eligible for workers' compensation:
- You are entitled to have all your medical bills paid to improve your health – and to keep your health stable – for as long as you need healthcare. Some workers may require healthcare for the rest of their lives.
- You cannot claim pain and suffering. To claim pain and suffering, you need to file a third-party claim, such as a claim that the equipment you used was defective. You can also seek pain and suffering if you are not an employee through a personal injury
- You are entitled to claim temporary or permanent work loss income benefits.
- You may be entitled to vocational retraining benefits if you can’t do your old job but you could do another type of job.
Generally, you must select the doctors who will treat you from a preset list determined by your employer.. In some circumstances, employees can request to switch to a doctor of the employee’s choosing. You may be entitled to some travel reimbursement pay to see doctors who aren’t local.
What are temporary disability benefits?
Temporary disability benefits provide medical and wage loss benefits while you are obtaining medical care to maximize your health.
- As long as your doctor recommends medical care, your employer’s insurance should pay for all your surgeries, doctor visits, rehabilitative care, medications, assistive devices such as prosthetics, and any other medical care. Medical care also includes psychological help.
- Your employer’s insurance should also pay 2/3 of the average weekly wages that you were earning before your injury or illness prevented you from working. Some caps/upper limits may apply. Some adjustments will apply if you can do some work at lower pay but you can’t return to your full work duties.
Temporary work loss benefits continue until a determination is made that you have reached the stage of medical maximum improvement (MMI), which is the point at which additional medical care is not expected to improve your health. At that time, if you can’t return to work, you’ll be evaluated for permanent disability benefits.
What are permanent disability benefits?
At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers are skilled at showing workers have a permanent disability once they have reached the MMI stage. The amount of permanent disability benefits depends on whether you have a total or partial disability. A total disability means that you can’t return to work. A partial disability means that you can do some work but not at the full level you did before your injuries began. The pay for employees who receive partial disability benefits is adjusted and your full benefits are reduced to reflect your ability to earn a lower income amount.
Before a determination is made about your permanent disability benefits, you will be evaluated by medical professionals to determine what injuries or illness you have, the severity (called an impairment rating) of your medical condition, and your functional ability to perform certain job tasks.
Generally, employees in Murfreesboro who receive permanent disability benefits:
- Are entitled to payment of all their medical bills that are necessary to prevent their condition from worsening
- 2/3 of their average weekly wages. This amount will be reduced based on the impairment rating.
- Adjustments, as discussed above, are made if the employee has a partial permanent disability instead of a full permanent disability
- Are paid until the employee is eligible for Social Security retirement benefits.
You may be entitled to additional compensation, even if you can work, for certain injuries such as blindness or the loss of both arms.
Please know that Tennessee requires that the determination of permanent disability benefits be established through mediation. If mediation can’t resolve the issue, then the permanent disability benefit determination can be resolved through formal hearings.
How does Rocky McElhaney Law Firm fight for injured employees in Murfreesboro?
At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers fight for employees who are injured in the following ways, among others. We:
- Explain your rights and benefits
- File your workers' compensation claim
- Show that you meet the key eligibility criteria – meaning that you’re an employee and your injuries or illnesses occurred during the scope of your employment
- Review your medical care to verify your injuries/illnesses, show what medical treatments you need, and explain why you’re not ready to return to work
- Fight to change which doctors treat you when necessary
- Prepare you for an independent medical exam (IME)
- Prepare you for a permanent disability assessment
- Show what your average weekly wages were before you were hurt
- Explain how mediation works and what happens at a hearing
- Negotiate your claim with employer insurance companies and defense lawyers
- Argue your rights before workers’ compensation officials
- Counter arguments that you have a preexisting condition, aren’t cooperating with nurse case managers, are ready to return to work, and other efforts to deny or reduce your claim
- Negotiate lump sum agreements
We pay attention to all the small details that often determine the success of any workers’ compensation claim.
Do you file claims against all types of Murfreesboro employers?
Our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation attorneys fight for every type of worker. We represent workers who work in the following job sectors:
- Manufacturing
- Police work and firefighting
- Hospitals and medical care
- Education
- Trucking
- Hospitality
- Restaurant work
- Government work
- Construction work
- Retail
- Agriculture
- Music and entertainment
- For-profit services
- Nonprofit services
Our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers represent workers who suffer injuries due to:
- Slip and falls, from heights and level ground
- Vehicle accidents
- Lifting accidents
- Forklift, crane, bulldozer, and other equipment accidents
- Machinery accidents
- Power tool accidents
- Infections
- Electrical accidents
- Overexertion
- Toxic exposures
- Radiation accident
- Heat and cold
- Repetitive stress injuries including carpal tunnel syndrome
- Lifting accidents
- High-stress jobs
- Workplace violence
Rocky McElhaney Law Firm respects every type of worker. We’re skilled at showing your job caused your injuries.
Do you handle all types of work injuries in Murfreesboro?
Any accident can cause permanent injuries that prevent you from ever working again or that require long-term medical care. Our Murfreesboro work injury lawyers represent employees who have any type of injury that prevents them from working, including the following types of injuries:
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Head trauma including traumatic brain injuries
- Fractures/broken bones
- Burns
- Neck, shoulder, and back pain
- Nerve, ligament, tissue, tendon, and muscle injuries
- Vision and hearing loss
- Heart disorders
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Occupational illnesses
- Infections
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Penetrating wound injuries
At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, we have the skills, experience, and resources to show what medical care you need, if and when you can return to work, if you can work with restrictions, and whether you have a permanent disability. We submit claims, either directly or through your doctors, for all your medical expenses.
We work with your doctors to show your injuries prevent you from working.
Our team also seeks death benefits on behalf of spouses and defendants if a loved died while doing their job.
Can I qualify for workers’ compensation if I have an occupational illness in Murfreesboro?
Workers’ compensation in Murfreesboro also protects employees who become ill due to their work. There are a few key requirements that our Murfreesboro workers' compensation lawyers can explain:
- You must be an employee
- Your illness or disease must be due to the type of work you do and the workplace conditions
- Your illness or disease cannot be reasonably attributable to conditions outside the workplace
We represent employees who have the following types of illnesses:
- Pulmonary disorders
- Respiratory disorders such as COPD, occupational asthma, and lung disease
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of vision
- Asbestosis, black lung disease, tuberculosis, and other severe diseases
- Infectious diseases
- Skin disorders
- Repetitive stress disorders
- Occupational cancers
- Many other occupational illnesses and diseases
- Many other illnesses
We work with physicians who can verify you have a covered illness, that your illness is job-related, that your illness prevents you from working, and the scope of medical care you’ll need.
Do you have a Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyer near me?
Our Murfreesboro office is located at 2805 Old Fort Parkway (Suite H). There’s plenty of parking and a bus stop right around the corner. If you are too ill or injured to visit us, we can schedule a phone or video consultation instead.
Get help from our experienced Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers today
There are no safe jobs. There are no easy jobs. Every type of worker, whether they do manual labor or work that isn’t physically intense, risks falling, overexertion injuries, and many other types of injuries. When you’re injured at work, you should be able to focus entirely on getting healthy. You should have an income while you’re seeing your doctors. At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, our Murfreesboro workers’ compensation lawyers verify the severity of your injuries and contest every effort by employers to deny or limit your claim. We demand immediate temporary disability payments. Contact us now or fill out our contact form today to schedule an appointment at one of our offices in Nashville, East Nashville, Hendersonville, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro.