Three Ways To Resolve Your Workers’ Comp Claim
If you appeal a denied workers’ compensation claim, the case may be resolved through a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ). This is the equivalent of a court trial, but there is no jury and the hearing takes place in a hearing room rather than a courtroom.
More often than not, however, workers’ compensation disputes are resolved through one of two types of settlements — a stipulated finding and award or a compromise and release agreement. The experienced lawyers at Hanna Leung, Professional Law Corporation, in San Francisco, are always prepared to represent clients in an ALJ hearing if a fair agreement cannot be reached through negotiation. However, we work to resolve these disputes via a settlement in order to avoid the lengthy ALJ hearing process.
What A Settlement Means For You
In a stipulated finding and award, the insurance company agrees to a percentage of disability, which will determine the amount of money an injured worker receives. The agreement also spells out the number of weeks that disability will be paid.
In a compromise and release, the insurance provider pays a lump sum to the injured party and the case is closed completely. The injured party cannot seek compensation from the insurance provider for future medical care related to those specific injuries. If there is no need for medical care, or if an injured party has access to medical care through some other means, a compromise and release can be an effective way to maximize his or her benefits without prolonging the workers’ comp process.
Our attorneys have a strong track record of maximizing the amount of benefits clients recover through each of these processes. The facts of your case and the response from your employer’s insurance provider will dictate the strategy we recommend.
No Case Is Insignificant
Many workers’ compensation law firms are selective about the cases they accept, taking only those that are easily supported and will provide a substantial payday for them. We understand that every case is significant to the injured worker who needs to collect benefits. We take cases that other firms turn away because they are too small or too complex and build value.
Our lawyers are multilingual — speaking Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Spanish and Russian — so we break through another barrier that causes other firms to turn away clients. We work with injured workers in San Francisco and throughout much of Northern California.
Call 800-373-7320 or use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.