Hartford Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

Employees suffer injuries at an alarming rate in Connecticut. A 2020 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found Connecticut had an above-average rate of injuries due to work-related accidents. If you suffered workplace injuries in Hartford, Connecticut, the workers’ compensation lawyers at Carter Mario Law Firm can successfully guide you through the workers’ compensation process.

Get the Help You Need

Historically, employees who suffered injuries while working faced a nearly impossible battle if they sought financial compensation for their injuries and medical expenses. This is because it was almost impossible for injured workers to sue their employers successfully. The 1913 Workers’ Compensation Act was enacted to solve this issue and provides you with the benefits you need to recover from your injuries.

If you’re living in Hartford and have been involved in an auto accident, truck accident, a motorcycle accident, or must file a medical malpractice lawsuit, the personal injury lawyers at Carter Mario Law Firm can help.

Workers’ Compensation Definition

Workers’ compensation is a form of no-fault insurance. To have a valid claim, you must have suffered an injury while in the scope of your employment. Specifically, you must have suffered an injury while at your place of work or while traveling for your employer.

Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Hartford

Connecticut State law requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. You should immediately report your injury to your employer. To officially make a workers’ compensation claim, you must fill out and file a 30C Form with the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Learn more about why it’s vital to complete a 30C Form.

How Much can Workers’ Comp Pay?

Workers’ compensation insurance pays 75% of your average weekly wage if you suffered a work-related injury. However, the insurance company only pays your weekly salary after taxes. The maximum amount the insurance pays is $1,373.

Statute of Limitations on Workers’ Compensation in Hartford 

A statute of limitations is a time limit by which an injured victim must file a lawsuit or make a formal legal claim. Under Connecticut law, you have one year to file a workers’ compensation claim for an accidental injury. If you suffered an occupational disease, you have three years from when your symptoms began to manifest to file a claim.

Hartford Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Workers’ compensation insurance provides several benefits for injured workers. Specifically, workers’ compensation will pay for your medical treatment. If a work-related accident resulted in your loved one’s death, workers’ compensation insurance will pay for funeral and burial expenses.

Wage Replacement Benefits

Before the enactment of workers’ compensation laws in Connecticut, injured victims who could not work had to rely on charity, public benefits, or their families to replace their income. If you cannot work due to your injuries, workers’ compensation provides Temporary Total Disability (“TTD“) benefits which will pay you 75% of your average weekly wage. If you can only return to work at a light-duty capacity, Temporary Partial Disability (“TPD”) benefits replace 75% of your lost earning capacity. 

Vocational Training

Workers’ compensation provides vocational rehabilitation. Despite reaching maximum medical improvement, some victims cannot resume their prior duties. The vocational rehabilitation benefit provides injured workers with job training and assistance in finding new employment.

Financial Compensation for Permanent Injuries

Employees who suffer severe injuries are often left permanently disabled. Completely incapacitated victims can claim Permanent Total Disability (“PTD“) and receive weekly life-long financial benefits equal to 75% of their average weekly wage. Similarly, victims who reach maximum medical improvement but are only partially disabled can claim Permanent Partial Disability (“PPD“) which provides financial benefits based on the victim’s pre-injury wages and the severity of their injury.

How a Hartford Workers’ Comp Lawyer Helps Your Claim

The Connecticut workers’ compensation claims process is confusing and complicated. Insurance companies and employers do not make this process easy for injured workers and constantly search for reasons to deny or minimize claims. A Hartford, CT workers’ compensation attorney can guide you through the claims process and advocate on your behalf so you obtain the benefits you deserve.

Personal Injury vs. Workers’ Comp Claims

If you suffered an injury because of another person’s negligence and were working, you have a potential personal injury claim and a potential workers’ comp claim. Both claims are designed to compensate you for your injuries. However, there are distinct differences between personal injury claims and workers’ compensation claims.

The Differences

Workers’ compensation is a form of no-fault insurance. This means, with some exceptions, you can still obtain benefits even if you caused your injury. To receive compensation from a personal injury claim, you must prove the other party committed a negligent act that resulted in your injuries.

Personal Injury Claims

In general, it is more difficult to win a personal injury claim. This is because your personal injury lawyer must prove the other person’s negligence. However, you may obtain more money from a personal injury claim as you can seek financial compensation for your pain and suffering.

Workers’ Compensation Claims

It is easier to win a workers’ comp claim because you do not have to prove anyone else was negligent. Accordingly, you can receive financial benefits shortly after filing your claim (assuming it is accepted). However, you cannot seek monetary compensation for the pain and suffering you endured because of your injuries.

Determining Which to File

Depending on the facts of your case, you may be limited to only filing a workers’ compensation claim if your employer’s negligence caused your injuries. However, you can pursue a personal injury claim if a third party caused your injuries or you were a passenger in a work vehicle driven by a coworker. If you pursue a personal injury claim after pursuing a workers’ comp claim, the workers’ compensation insurance carrier can seek reimbursement from your personal injury award for the benefits they paid to you.

Hartford Workers’ Comp FAQs

Workplace accidents cause severe disruptions in the lives of workers and their families. Sadly, employers sometimes fail to advise injured workers of their ability to seek workers’ compensation benefits. At Carter Mario Law Firm, our Hartford, CT workers’ compensation lawyers offer free and confidential case evaluations.

What Should You Do after A Workplace Accident?

You should report the accident to your employer and immediately seek medical treatment. You should also obtain the names of possible witnesses and take personal notes regarding how the accident occurred. You should also avoid speaking with your employer’s insurance carrier and instead consult a Hartford, CT workers’ compensation attorney.

How Much Do I Have To Pay For A Hartford Workers’ Compensation Attorney?

At Carter Mario Law Firm, we charge no up-front fees. Instead, our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. Under our Zero Fee Warranty, we will only charge you a legal fee if we win your case or negotiate a settlement with your approval.

Trust the Experience of Carter Mario’s Workers’ Comp Attorneys

The attorneys at Carter Mario Law Firm have been representing injured employees since 1989, both in Hartford and throughout the state of Connecticut. During that time, our attorneys have obtained over one billion dollars for our clients. 

Contact us today for a free consultation.