Understanding Workers' Compensation: A Guide for Recent Immigrants and Their Rights

Introduction

Many newly arrived immigrant workers report feeling bewildered or intimidated when trying to find out their rights to worker’s compensation. Newly arrived workers and victims of workplace injury often express concerns and confusion about how to receive proper medical care and adequate financial compensation while out of work due to a workplace injury. Additionally, many newly arrived workers express fear of employer retaliation and/or government retaliation. This newsletter will inform newly arrived workers of their rights to proper medical care and fair financial compensation while disabled on worker’s compensation.

Define Workers' Compensation and Its Importance

Ever feel like you’re wandering aimlessly through the system of worker’s compensation to help injured workers receive their appropriate medical care as well as fair compensation for their workplace injury? Here at abogados de compensacion al trabajador, we can make sure that you receive all of the workers’ compensation benefits that you’re entitled to. This can be especially important for recent immigrants. Like many others, they work very hard to provide for themselves and their families. Often, these immigrant workers are unaware of the appropriate processes that must be followed to receive employee benefits for workplace injuries, even though these benefits are due to help with their medical care and to ensure that they receive fair compensation for their work-related injury or accidents on the job.

Worker’s Compensation benefits for employees are available in North Carolina and Florida to all workers, regardless of immigration status. The worker does not have to be documented or an independent contractor. Changes are currently occurring in legislation that pertain to workers, so it is advisable for documented and undocumented workers to seek assistance from abogados de compensacion al trabajador in availing themselves of their rights and protections afforded by Worker’s Compensation benefits.

The two workers were in serious injury at work cases recently posted about here and here. One worker suffered from a toxic exposure and the other worker suffered from a slip and fall injury while he was working as a construction laborer. In total, the two men received $578,644 in compensation for their workplace injuries. $373,644 of that amount was for the man who suffered from the toxic exposure and $205,000 of that amount was for the man who suffered from the slip and fall injury. The two men received compensation for the workplace injuries that they suffered for their medical expenses and for the lost wages that they incurred as a result of their workplace injuries. Benefits for workers who are injured on the job are very important. These benefits can help the worker who has been injured on the job a great deal, by helping them to pay for their medical treatment and by helping them to earn back the money that they have lost due to their injury while they are recovering from their workplace injury. If you have been injured on the job, you should seek the help of an abogados de compensacion al trabajador to find out if you are eligible to receive any benefits for workers.

Immigrant workers benefit greatly by knowing what benefits are available to them as employees. Knowing the rights to workers’ compensation will allow immigrant workers to protect their rights to receive medical treatment and fair compensation for their work-related injuries. Whether the accident was the other party’s fault or not, immigrant workers and their families can be assured of fair representation from abogados de compensacion al trabajador.

Identify Covered Injuries Under Workers' Compensation

Workplace injury compensation can be an elusive benefit for many injured workers, especially those who are immigrant workers. There are, however, measures in place to prevent work-related injuries and protect workers against injury whether or not the employer is at fault. Even if it is uncertain whether an employer was at fault for a worker’s injury, many workplace injuries can be eligible for work injury compensation. These are the most common workplace injuries which are covered by workers compensation:

• Workplace slips, trips, and falls: These are incidents in which workers are injured by losing control and falling on workplace surfaces.
• Workplace injuries due to repetitive action: This can cause repetitive strain injuries or conditions such as carpal tunnel. The most common work-related injury among all workers, carpal tunnel is prevalent among those performing repetitive tasks that require them to use their hands on a daily basis in many industries.
• Cuts and lacerations: Most workers are subject to cuts and lacerations when using objects that have sharp edges. There are instances where workers sustain serious injuries when objects or parts of machinery fall on them. As a result of serious workplace injuries, the worker can incur a lot of medical expenses and may also suffer a loss of wages as a result of being out of work for a period of time to allow the injury to heal.
• Muscle strains and sprains: These types of workplace injuries are one of the most reported types of injury in the workplace. A muscle strain or sprain can occur while lifting objects, bending, stretching, unusual movement, or even sudden movements. These are some of the most painful workplace injuries and can take a very long time to fully recover from.
• Work-related diseases: Workers can also get diseases from work. This can be from breathing in air that has high levels of particulate, dust, chemical vapors, or gases. Black lung, silicosis, bronchitis, and cancer are just a few examples of work-related diseases.

Workplace incidents involving slips, trips, and falls occur often in the states of North Carolina and Florida. Slips, trips, and falls can occur at any workplace and any time and can very seriously injure workers. Sometimes the injuries can be so severe that it takes a long time to recover, and workers may not be able to return to work. When incidents like these occur, it is very important for workers to report them to their employer within 30 days. It is also important that workers file a claim within 2 years from the date of the incident in order to receive benefits for any workplace injury that was sustained as a result of incidents such as slips, trips, and falls.

Many immigrant workers face obstacles to receiving proper work injury compensation because of the complicated system of benefits, language barriers, and simply because of fear of deportation. However, all employees are protected by law regardless of immigration status. Many workers do not know that there are lawyers called abogados de compensacion al trabajador who work to recover full and proper worker’s compensation for injured workers. Compensation can be used to pay for ANY and ALL required medical treatment (surgery, physical therapy, doctor visits, etc.) as well as to replace the income that the worker lost as a result of their work injury. Undocumented workers that have been injured on the job should report their injury immediately and seek medical attention right away. If they need help with their claim, Vasquez Law Firm can assist them. Vasquez Law Firm has a 95% success rate in workers’ compensation claims. We have offices in North Carolina and Florida to serve workers all across the two states. We speak Spanish and are here to answer any questions that you have regarding your workers’ compensation claim.

Outline the Process for Filing a Workers' Compensation Claim

Workplace injuries can be very difficult and stressful to recover from. It is very important to know how to file a workers compensation claim and how to defend yourself through the claims process. We have outlined the steps to filing a workers compensation claim in order to help protect your rights and ensure that your claim is processed in a timely manner.

1. Report the Incident and Notify Employer: If you are injured on the job you must report the incident to your employer within 30 days of the date of the incident. By reporting your injury and filing for workers’ compensation within 30 days, you are ensuring that you are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits in the state of North Carolina.
2. Get Medical Treatment for your injuries: Get the best treatment for your wounds and have your healthcare provider document your injuries and treatment so that your case will have necessary evidence.
3. Fill out the Request Form: The employer must give you a request for claim form. Fill out the request for claim form completely and accurately so that there is no delay in processing your request.
4. Submit the Request: Return the completed request form to your employer or the designated insurance company as instructed. Keep a copy for your records to track your submission.
5. Follow Up: Remember that after submitting your application there is usually a time when they ask for more information in order to process your request in a timely manner. Once you have done everything required to complete your application in full, there is nothing more that you can do in order to process your request any faster than sending in the extra information. In order to find out the status of your application it is best to make contact with the company. They will be able to tell you what is going on with your application as well as give you a rough idea of how long it will be before you receive a decision.

It is essential to know how the workers support system works to defend the rights of recent immigrants, tools and resources that are available to assist working individuals and their families in order to grant them the support that they deserve. In North Carolina workers have 30 days from the date of the injury to report the injury in order to receive workers compensation benefits, and a Form 18 must be submitted within 2 years from the date of the injury to notify the state of the request for workers compensation. For more information on how to file a claim for workers compensation contact the team at Vasquez Law Firm; bilingual services are available.

Address Challenges in Workers' Compensation Claims

Many immigrant workers encounter difficulties when going through the workers' compensation claims process and often do not know where to turn for help because the process can seem so confusing.

• Claim Denials: Worker’s compensation claims that have been denied for lack of evidence of work-related injury or illness can be reopened by the collection and presentation of additional medical report(s) and/or testimony from coworker(s) that witnessed the injury or accident. Many workers compensation claims are lost because there is not sufficient evidence to establish that the worker sustained a work-related injury. The statistics provided by the North Carolina Industrial Commission for fiscal year 2014 indicate that of the 77,412 requests for services by North Carolinians that were processed by the Industrial Commission, 57,047 were made by NC workers’ compensation workers and their families. Denial of a worker’s compensation claim can occur when there is disagreement between employer and employee regarding cause of injury. Denial can also occur if the worker was intoxicated at time of work injury, or if the injury was sustained as result of worker’s horseplay. If a claim has been denied on the basis of lack of evidence, claim can usually be reversed by submission of additional documentation or evidence of work-related injury.
• Language Barriers: Some workers have very limited English skills. This can create serious challenges for these employees in interpreting worker’s compensation forms and responding to phone calls from insurance adjusters. Such employees have a right to request interpretation services at every phase of the process. Bilingual employee advocates or workers compensation lawyers can represent best the interests of such workers. At Vasquez Law Firm, our lawyers speak fluent Spanish and represent workers’ compensation clients throughout the entire claims process.
• Fear of Retaliation: Many workers fear reporting their work-related injury and receiving medical treatment for fear of job loss. Worker’s compensation laws strictly prohibit employers from retaliating against workers for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses. Employees have the right to receive medical treatment for work-related injuries and illnesses without fear of job loss.
• Complex Legal Requirements: The rules of employee benefits can be difficult to follow, especially when they are written in English and most of an employee’s contacts at work are in Spanish. By documenting any refusal of interpretation services and filing written requests for such services by email, evidence of discrimination can be created. At Vasquez Law Firm, the abogados de compensacion al trabajador at our firm can assist employees through the entire process of determining and receiving their employee benefits.

All our staff, lawyers and support are bilingual, bringing first hand knowledge of the struggle that workers experience, including immigrant workers across North Carolina. Our employee benefit attorneys, abogados de compensacion al trabajador, are well versed in the employee benefits process and help to educate our clients through the process and what to expect. We strive to help workers through their struggle for benefits and offer our clients free initial consultations and evaluations, flexible payment plans, and 24/7 availability for urgent and late night work injuries and other compensation claims throughout NC.

Conclusion

Workplace injuries can be stressful and complicated but you do not have to go through this process by yourself. All workers, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits to get back to work physically and financially after a work-related injury. Knowledge is power, learn about your rights as an immigrant worker and how you can exercise them to recover financially from work-related injuries.

Understanding different types of work injuries that are covered under workers’ compensation and the process of filing a claim is a crucial piece of information for any worker that is seeking compensation for injuries sustained while at work. Unfortunately, many barriers prevent workers from receiving the workers’ compensation benefits that they are owed. Many of these barriers are of greater effect on immigrant workers, due in part to the fear of employer retaliation and language barriers that often exist with this group of workers. Luckily, there are many resources available to assist injured workers in achieving the goal of receiving the fair amount of workers’ compensation benefits that they deserve.

There is nothing to distinguish the rights of an immigrant worker and recover from a work related injury and to regain financially from time lost from work for injury(ies) at work in the United States while an immigrant in this country whether temporarily or permanently in this country from those of a U.S. born worker. And, for your fellow worker who has been injured at work, it would be best to seek the assistance of your fellow worker’s legal rights to workers’ compensation benefits by contacting a bilingual law firm of competent lawyers, like Vasquez Law Firm. At Vasquez Law Firm, you will receive a free consultation; fairly and competitively billed for their services; and, have the benefits of the best aggressive representation by your lawyers at Vasquez Law Firm, and, the most important component - dedicated representation of the rights of the immigrant community to their workers’ compensation benefits. By knowing your rights and having them strongly and vigorously advocated for by your lawyers, all workers will be treated equally under the law and granted the benefits to which they are entitled when they are injured on the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is workers' compensation?

Workers' compensation is a system that provides benefits to employees who are injured on the job, helping them receive medical care and fair compensation for their workplace injuries.

Who is eligible for workers' compensation benefits in North Carolina and Florida?

All workers, regardless of immigration status, are eligible for workers' compensation benefits in North Carolina and Florida. This includes documented and undocumented workers, as well as independent contractors.

Why is workers' compensation important for immigrant workers?

Workers' compensation is crucial for immigrant workers as it ensures they receive necessary medical treatment and fair compensation for work-related injuries, helping them support themselves and their families.

What types of benefits can injured workers receive?

Injured workers can receive benefits that cover medical expenses and lost wages incurred due to their workplace injuries, aiding in their recovery and financial stability.

How can workers find out if they are eligible for benefits?

Workers should seek assistance from abogados de compensacion al trabajador to determine their eligibility for workers' compensation benefits and to navigate the claims process.

Can you provide an example of compensation received by injured workers?

Recently, two workers received a total of $578,644 in compensation for their workplace injuries, with one receiving $373,644 for toxic exposure and the other $205,000 for a slip and fall injury.

What should injured workers do if they have questions about their rights?

Injured workers should consult with abogados de compensacion al trabajador to understand their rights and the benefits available to them under workers' compensation laws.

List of Sources

1. Define Workers' Compensation and Its Importance
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   • California Applicants' Attorneys Association (https://caaa.org/?pg=latestnews&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=136197)
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2. Identify Covered Injuries Under Workers' Compensation
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3. Outline the Process for Filing a Workers' Compensation Claim
   • Workers’ Compensation for Immigrants and Undocumented Workers in Ohio (https://maleklawfirm.com/workers-compensation/workers-compensation-by-industry/immigrants-and-undocumented-workers)
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4. Address Challenges in Workers' Compensation Claims
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