Goshen, Indiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Are Here to Help You Get the Benefits You Deserve

Indiana requires most employers to have workers’ compensation insurance to cover employees who suffer injuries. The insurance program provides medical and rehabilitation benefits to injured employees. It also provides partial income benefits if you suffer injuries at work. However, the Workers’ Compensation Board, insurance company, and/or the employer often deny your claim as it increases premiums for your employer and reduces the insurance company’s profits.

Workers’ compensation insurance companies have expensive lawyers working for them meaning it is only fair that you have experienced Goshen, IN, workers’ comp lawyers working for you. Indiana laws make claiming workers’ compensation complex. Mistakes in your application, filing late, or not obtaining the proper medical attention could all cause the insurance company or your employer to reject your claim.

Fortunately, you do not have to fight for a workers’ comp settlement alone. If you have been injured on the job, an experienced Goshen, IN, workers’ comp lawyer can help you get the benefits you deserve.

At Coriden & Coriden, our workers’ comp lawyers’ team has helped many clients resolve disputes over workers’ compensation claims. When we handle your case, we make sure everything is done correctly and promptly; and by providing additional information, we can often reverse initial benefit rejections and clear up misunderstandings and mistakes.

We also make sure that you recover the benefits and compensation you deserve, whether you are applying for workers’ compensation benefits, filing a personal injury lawsuit against a third party, or both. We want you to be able to concentrate on recovering – not worry about whether a form for workers’ compensation is late or filled out incorrectly.

Protect yourself after a workplace injury — call Coriden & Coriden at 812-375-9800 as soon as possible to learn about workers’ compensation law, your rights, and the best way to get the benefits you deserve.

How a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Goshen, IN, Can Help You Get Benefits

Indiana law requires most businesses to have workers’ compensation insurance for their employees who are injured while working at their job. Workers are covered from the first day on the job.

To help you get benefits, our Goshen workers’ comp lawyers can:

Make sure you know what to say and do after you are injured to meet Indiana requirements and prevent hurting your case.
Ensure all claim forms are filled out correctly and promptly.
Investigate how the accident happened, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence such as photos, videos, and work and medical records to help prove your claim.
Dispute denials and negotiate with insurance companies for a fair settlement.
Represent you at any hearings. Disputes not resolved through the Informal Dispute Resolution process require filing an Application for Adjustment of Claim (SF 29109) within two years of the date of injury. The case is then assigned to a Single Hearing Member of the Workers’ Compensation Board to determine all unresolved issues.
Prepare your case and argue on your behalf if a claim goes to trial.
Handle any appeals.

Goshen, Indiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Knows the Benefits You May be Entitled to

Indiana workers’ compensation insurance provides medical and financial benefits to workers and the family of a worker who is killed on the job.

To get benefits, you must meet certain requirements:

You must be a covered employee. Indiana law requires employers to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for all employees, including temporary employees and minors.
Your injury or illness must have resulted from employment-related tasks.
You must notify your employer immediately after you’ve been injured and within 30 days of the injury, or your claim may be denied.
You should inform your employer about your injury before seeking medical care unless the injury is serious, in which case you should get treatment immediately.
You must file all required forms, which can be found on the Indiana workers’ compensation website, within the required time frames.

In a successful workers’ comp claim, benefits should cover some of your income while you are unable to work, in addition to the medical costs that result from your work injury, including reaching MMI Benefits may include:

Two-thirds of your average weekly wage during the time that you are found unable to work by the insurance company’s authorized physician. The payment will not exceed $600 per week if you are considered temporarily totally disabled — meaning you are currently unable to work but are expected to recover enough to return to work. Permanently disabled individuals not expected to return to work may collect a larger portion of prior weekly earnings, and the percentage may increase with the severity of the injury.
Payment for permanent partial impairment or a partial disability classified by the insurance company’s authorized physician.
Payment of medical expenses to physicians authorized by the insurance company and reimbursement of related out-of-pocket expenses, hospital bills, co-pays, the costs of prescription medicines, rehabilitation services, physical or occupational therapy, and transportation costs to and from your doctor visits.
Retraining benefits for new jobs if employees cannot return to their previous position.
Beneficiary expenses for funeral and burial to beneficiaries of an employee who dies due to work-related illness or injury.

As a general rule, you will be able to collect workers’ compensation benefits until you can go back to work or reach age 65 if you are permanently disabled.

When our Coriden & Coriden lawyers handle your case, we will work to make sure you receive all benefits you are entitled to.
It’s natural to have questions when dealing with a work injury. Here are some answers to questions our lawyers are often asked:

What Happens if My Claim is Disputed or Denied?

If your legitimate claim is disputed or denied, our workers’ comp attorneys in Goshen can fight for your rights. Depending on the individual circumstances of your case, we can:

Initiate an informal dispute by filing a Request for Assistance (State Form 45442) with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Indiana
Hire a mediator, a trained and neutral party who attempts to come to a resolution of disputed issues
File an Application for Adjustment of Claim (SF 29109) to schedule a formal hearing before a member of the Workers’ Compensation Board
Appeal a workers’ comp denial. Our attorneys would start by answering any objections and providing additional supporting medical documentation, or we can submit to an independent medical exam and file an appeal. If still denied, we would file an application for an adjustment to your claim with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Indiana for review to have the initial denial overturned. There can be a hearing before a board member; that outcome can be appealed to the full board; and that decision could be appealed to the Indiana appellate and supreme courts.

How Much Can I Get in a Workers’ Comp Settlement?

Many factors go into determining how much you will get for a workers’ compensation settlement, including the extent of your injuries, whether they are temporary or permanent, and what is provided under Indiana law.

In general, if you are unable to work for more than a week, you may receive compensation for your lost wages that are equal to two-thirds of your average weekly wages, plus payment for the costs of your medical care.

What industries are at the highest risk for work-related injuries or illnesses?

Numerous industries carry a higher risk of a work injury. If you were injured at work in Goshen while working in one of these industries or in any other sector, you are entitled to seek the full amount of workers’ compensation. The highest-risk industries include:

Construction — The construction industry is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, due to slips and falls, falling objects, electrocution, and equipment-related accidents.
Transportation — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that the trucking and transportation industry sees a high rate of work-related fatalities.
Healthcare — According to OSHA, hospitals are one of the most hazardous places to work, due to exposure to infectious diseases, hazardous materials, repetitive motions, and from manually lifting patients.

What are the most common work injuries?

At Coriden & Coriden our workers’ comp attorneys deal with a wide range of work-related injuries and illnesses, as well as wrongful death actions that result from work injuries. Injuries we often handle include:

Occupational diseases — any chronic disease caused by or due to activities or environmental factors at work
Electrocution and electric shock injuries, including serious burns, internal damage, and death
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Quadriplegia and paraplegia and other types of paralysis
Vision loss and eye injuries
Hand and arm, finger, leg, foot, and toe amputations
Repetitive stress injuries
Neck, lower back, and spinal cord injuries that can lead to permanent disability, paralysis, and death
On-the-job violence.

What if my employer does not have workers’ comp insurance?

A small number of employers are “self-insured,” because they received approval from the Workers’ Compensation Board to pay claims out of their own funds. If your employer does not have insurance and you are injured on the job, you may be able to bring a lawsuit for personal injury against your employer. Talk to our attorneys to see if this is possible.

When You Can Go Beyond a Workers’ Comp Settlement

The Indiana Workers’ Compensation Act does not provide compensation for non-economic damages, such as for pain and suffering, and does not fully reimburse lost wages. However, there are situations where you may be entitled to file a separate personal injury lawsuit and receive additional compensation. Damage awards for pain and suffering are determined by a jury based on the severity of the injuries and may be substantial.

Examples of these situations include:

When a third party’s negligence or wrongdoing caused your injuries, such as if an outside contractor caused a vehicle crash while you were working on the job
If your employer does not subscribe to workers’ compensation, or if you are considered to be an independent contractor.

In addition, you may also file a lawsuit for:

Denied coverage – If employers deny coverage, claiming you are an independent contractor, and this is a misclassification
Retaliation – If you were fired from a job because you filed for or received workers’ compensation benefits.

Get Help from a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Goshen, IN

No matter what the cause of your work-related injury or illness, the compassionate lawyers at Coriden & Coriden in Goshen, Indiana are here to help you get the benefits you deserve. Let us take care of all the paperwork, deadlines, documentation, legal requirements, and appeals, so you can focus on your recovery.

Call a Goshen workers’ compensation lawyer at Coriden & Coriden today at 812-375-9800 to get started.

Attorney Terry Coriden

Terry Coriden practices worker’s compensation law as a Partner at Coriden & Coriden, LLC. His entire professional career as an attorney has been committed to worker’s compensation law and making a difference in his community. He is also highly experienced in mediation. Terry is a member and past president of the Bartholomew County Bar Association, a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, and a former board member of the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF). [ Attorney Bio ]