Teen Injured At Summer Job? How An Attorney Fights For Your Loved One's Workers' Comp
If your teen received injuries while working at their summer job, you may wonder if they qualify for workers' compensation benefits. Your teen qualifies for benefits because they worked as an employee. However, if your teen's summer employer refuses to pay for their injuries, consult with a workers' compensation lawyer. The attorney fights for your loved one's benefits in a number of ways, including these two below.
Investigate the Employer for Bad Business Practices
One of the most important things a workers' comp lawyer will do for your teen is investigate their employer for bad business practices. The attorney needs to find out if the employer has a history of hiring teens and not paying workers' compensation to them when they become injured on the job, especially if they work long, grueling hours or perform excessive duties that lead to their injuries.
For example, if the employer pushed your loved one to work harder than they're physically capable of doing at the time of their workplace accident, the workers' compensation lawyer needs to know about it. To find out, the attorney can ask personal injury court for the legal right to pull the employer's human resource files of other teens who received injuries at your teen's summer job.
After going through the files, the attorney may interview the teens with their parents' permission to find out the employer forced them to work beyond their skill sets or physical capabilities. If the teens experienced work-related accidents without compensation, the attorney documents the information in your teen's case file. The attorney now has the evidence they need to pursue and win your loved one's workers' comp benefits.
Obtain Medical Evidence of Your Teen's Injuries and Health Problems
The next important thing the workers' comp attorney does is obtain copies of your loved one's medical exam results. Sometimes, people who work long hours or experience unfair work duties experience high blood pressure, stress and other health ailments. If your teen experienced health problems because of their duties or hours, the medical exam will reveal them.
The lawyer can have your teen see several specialists to diagnose and document their ailments. For instance, if your teen became depressed or anxious after working their summer job, the attorney can send your teen to a psychiatrist for care. The psychiatrist may show that the accident could've been avoided if your teen worked normal part-time hours or within their abilities.
After obtaining the medical evidence for your teen's case, the workers' comp lawyer presents it to the employer's insurance company. If the insurance company or the employer still refuses to pay, the attorney takes the case to court and let it decide. Because of the evidence, the court will most likely favor or award compensation to your teen. However, the attorney will discuss this in greater detail during a private consultation.
For more information, contact Neifert Byrne & Ozga or a similar firm.
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