Workers’ compensation benefits can help you cover costly medical bills and offset a sudden loss of income while you’re recovering from a workplace accident in Dundalk, Maryland. However, getting maximum benefits can be a challenge. That’s where the experienced Dundalk workers’ compensation lawyers at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Our law firm has been a trusted advocate for injured workers and grieving families in Dundalk and throughout Baltimore County, MD, for more than 46 years. As leaders in workplace accident litigation and workers’ compensation claims, we’ve helped our deserving clients win tens of millions in compensation.
Contact our law office in Dundalk, MD, at (410) 970-3080 to find out how we can help you recover benefits after your workplace accident, too. Your first consultation is free.
Table of Contents
How Our Dundalk Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Claim for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
You’ll inevitably be dealing with an insurance company when you file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. And while you may be entitled to benefits, that insurance company will do everything in its power to limit your recovery. They might even try to claim that your injuries aren’t work-related or that you’re not a qualifying employee.
Force your employer’s insurance company to fight fairly by putting our top-rated Dundalk personal injury lawyers in your corner.
Since 1977, our law firm has earned a reputation for going above and beyond for our clients, doing anything in our power to help them achieve top results and move forward after life-changing accidents.
Our experience, resources, and passion for making things right can go a long way as you work toward a meaningful financial recovery.
You’ll also give yourself the opportunity to figure out the best way to move forward while we take the burden of your legal claim off your shoulders.
Count on us to:
- Help you secure medical treatment from a qualifying healthcare provider
- Gather evidence and documents required to establish your status as a qualifying employee, demonstrate your lost wages, and prove the severity of your injuries
- Bring in experts to provide additional support for your claim for benefits
- Ensure that all state-mandated filing deadlines and procedural requirements are satisfied
- Represent you during all negotiations with your employer’s insurance company
- Advocate for your best interests on appeal if your claim for workers’ compensation benefits is denied
When you choose WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, you don’t have to worry about the cost of asking for help. Our workers’ compensation attorneys in Dundalk, MD, work on a contingency fee basis. You only pay for our help if we help you secure benefits.
Call our Dundalk law office to discuss the details of your workplace accident and learn about your legal options for financial recovery. We’re always available to help – 24/7/365.
Understanding Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation System
Workers’ compensation is a private insurance system that provides an opportunity for injured employees to recover monetary benefits when they are injured on the job or are diagnosed with an occupational disease.
The goal of Maryland’s workers’ compensation system is simple:
- Give injured workers an accelerated path to compensation for medical bills and lost wages, and
- Protect employers from an onslaught of lawsuits when employees get hurt at work.
In Maryland, almost all employers with at least one employee are legally required to opt into the state’s workers’ compensation insurance system.
How Do I Qualify for Workers’ Compensation in Dundalk, Maryland?
You may qualify to receive workers’ compensation benefits if you:
- Work for an employee who is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance
- Suffer a work-related injury or are diagnosed with an occupational disease, and
- Are a full-time, part-time, or seasonal employee.
Independent contractors do not qualify for workers’ compensation benefits in the State of Maryland.
Can I Sue My Employer if I Get Workers’ Compensation?
With a few very limited exceptions, the answer is no. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You can recover compensation regardless of fault. As a result, you waive the right to sue your employer if their negligence contributes to your workplace injury or illness.
Can I Get Workers’ Compensation Benefits if I’m Partly To Blame for My Workplace Accident?
Yes. The no-fault system prevents you from suing your employer. However, it also allows you to circumvent Maryland’s pure contributory negligence statute. As a result, you are entitled to a recovery of benefits even if you are partly responsible for your workplace accident in Dundalk.
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Available if I File a Claim?
Workers’ compensation provides injured employees (or their families) with the opportunity to recover limited economic damages for medical bills, lost wages, and/or death benefits.
Medical Benefits
Workers’ compensation will cover all reasonable and necessary costs of medical treatment, including:
- Hospitalization
- Medication
- Medical devices and equipment
- Surgery
- Prosthetics
Keep in mind that your medical bills will only be covered if you seek treatment from a plan-approved provider. Most often, this means you can’t decide to go to your own doctor for care.
Wage Reimbursement Benefits
The Maryland Workers’ Compensation Act provides the right to be reimbursed for lost wages if your employer or its insurance company asks you to undergo an additional medical evaluation.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
Your employer will cover up to 24 months of vocational rehabilitation training if your work-related injury prevents you from performing work for which you were previously qualified. This can include vocational counseling, job development, and job placement services, among other things.
Temporary Total Disability Benefits
Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits can be paid if you are unable to work in any capacity while you recover from your work-related injury. Maryland law provides that TTD equals two-thirds of your average weekly wage, which is calculated using your pre-injury wages. The maximum TTD rate for 2023 is $1,402.
Temporary Partial Disability Benefits
Temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits can be paid if you can return to work in a limited capacity on light work duty. TPD equals 50 percent of the difference between your pre-and-post injury wages, not to exceed $701 a week.
Permanent Total Disability Benefits
If you become permanently disabled because of your workplace injury or illness, you may qualify for permanent total disability (PTD) benefits. In Maryland, a permanent total disability will be assumed if you’ve suffered the loss or loss of use of both arms, both eyes, both feet, both legs, or both hands. You may also qualify for PTD if you suffer the loss of any two of the following: arm, eye, foot, leg, or hand.
PTD will equal 100 percent of your average weekly wage, not to exceed $1,402.
Permanent Partial Disability Benefits
Some injuries may result in a partial disability that impairs your ability to work at full capacity. In these situations, the benefits payable depend on the part of the body that’s affected and the severity of the injury.
PTD can equal a maximum of two-thirds of your average weekly wage, not to exceed $468 a week.
Death Benefits
When a spouse or parent dies in a workplace accident in Dundalk, Maryland, you may qualify for death benefits under the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy.
Death benefits can include compensation for lost wages and funeral expenses. Wage benefits are calculated by determining the decedent’s average weekly wage (subject to state maximums) and identifying the percent of the family income they provided. Surviving family members are entitled to lost wages equal to the amount the decedent contributed to the family.
Let’s say your spouse was killed in a workplace accident in Dundalk, Maryland. They earned $1,200 a week and were responsible for half of your household income. You would then be entitled to death benefits totaling $600 a week ($1,200 multiplied by .5).
How Long Do I Have To File a Claim For Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Dundalk, Maryland?
Just like with other types of personal injury cases, you’ll have a limited time to pursue benefits through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy.
The statute of limitations will depend on whether you’ve suffered an accidental injury, been diagnosed with an occupational disease, or lost a family member.
- Accidental Injury: Maryland law provides that you have 10 days to report your injury or illness to your employer. As long as you’ve provided adequate notice, you’ll have 60 days to file your claim with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission.
- Occupational Disease: You have one year from the date your illness is diagnosed to report it to your employer. Then a two-year statute of limitations will apply to your case.
- Injury Death Benefits: You must notify your loved one’s employer within 30 days of their death. Then you’ll have 18 months to file a claim for benefits.
- Illness Death Benefits: You must notify your loved one’s employer within one year of their death. Then you’ll have two years to file a claim for death benefits.
Don’t lose the right to recover benefits by missing the deadline that applies to your case. Call WGK Personal Injury Lawyers and ask for our help with your case right away.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Dundalk Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Have you been injured in a workplace accident in Dundalk, Maryland? WGK Personal Injury Lawyers can help you file a claim and seek the maximum workers’ compensation benefits payable under the law.
Call our Dundalk workers’ compensation lawyers to discuss your case and find out how we can help you navigate this stressful time. your first consultation is free, so contact us to get started today.
