WHAT HAPPENS IN COMPENSATION COURT If you intend to assert your rights as an injured worker, you must file a Claim Petition in the New Jersey Workers' Compensation Court within two years of the date you suffer injury. Some workers' compensation benefits may be provided to you voluntarily by your employer or your employers' insurance company, but unless you file a Claim Petition in Workers' Compensation Court with the assistance of an experienced attorney, your legal rights may not be fully protected. While it is certainly possible for a person injured on the job to represent themselves in Workers' Compensation Court, it is probably not the wisest course. The workers' compensation system and Workers' Compensation Courts are a unique and completely different system from other types of courts, and they proceed according to their own rules and statutes. Many times, benefits available to injured workers will not be voluntarily provided by workers' compensation insurance companies, unless you have the assistance of an attorney who can help you with extensive negotiations and sometimes trial. It is difficult for an injured worker to fairly and accurately evaluate the true value of his injury under the workers' compensation system, without counsel and advice from an experienced workers' compensation trial attorney who has had the opportunity to negotiate settlements and try cases on behalf of hundreds of other injured workers. In addition, many injured workers do not realize that experienced workers' compensation attorneys do not require fees to be paid until the conclusion of the case, after money is obtained for you. Also, usually half of the attorney's fee is paid for by the employer's insurance company, and not by you. Therefore, there is usually no financial reason not to retain the services of an experienced workers' compensation attorney. If you are not represented, you may not receive the full benefits to which you are entitled under the law. My name is Ed Kasselman, and I am a Certified Civil Trial Attorney in the State of New Jersey with twenty years experience representing employees injured on the job. For a free, no obligation consultation with me please call today at 732-363-0666. There is no cost or obligation for getting the information you need to assure that your legal rights are fully protected. |
