Alaska Workers Compensation Attorneys
In Alaska, there is no need to file a claim after an accident. The workers compensations insurer usually learns about a work related injury from the accident report. The insurer has up to 21 days to either pay the claim or deny it. This is a quick process, especially when compared to the same time frame in most states. If the time elapses or the insurer denies the claim, then the injured worker has the right to petition for a hearing.
The injured worker does have the option of representing himself in the entire process. He has the burden of proof, and must supply evidence, expert witnesses, as well as resources that the state supplies him on the basic rules of the process. The employer and insurer sit on the opposite side of the room, always in the company of their seasoned attorneys. The entire defense side of the room stands ready to rebut every point that the plaintiff (the worker) argues. The plaintiff must manage to present his case for benefits in the face of such skilled opposition.
There is another option. The injured worker can hire a workers’ compensation attorney to either sit in as an advisor or take over the case altogether. This attorney can match every rebuttal brought by the defense with his own. He is sometimes more skilled in the area of workers compensation; using this skill to obtain the maximum benefits allowed by law for his client. The attorney has the knowledge of the law to go beyond simple hearing representation to secure benefits that the unrepresented plaintiff could not have managed. These include something as big as a substantial lump sum payment to something as small as mileage for long distance doctor’s visit.
The workers’ compensation attorney is a personal injury attorney, despite the no fault status of such cases. He works to make his client whole. Any Alaskan worker, whose initial claim is denied, should consult a workers’ compensation attorney. Even if he solely an advisor, the attorney can make a significant difference in the amount benefits ultimately received or time in which it takes to receive them. Consult a workers’ compensation attorney at the earliest possible moment in the case to ensure that your rights, and benefits, are protected.
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