Workers' Compensation
Missouri’s workers’ compensation laws provide for three major benefits to injured employees:
Medical Treatment – 100% paid for by the employer / workers’ compensation insurance carrier, with no co-pays or deductibles to be paid by the employee
TTD, which is Temporary Total Disability payments, for time off work because of the work injuries
PPD or PTD, which is permanent partial disability benefits or permanent total disability benefits. This entitles the injured employee to money benefits from the employer / workers’ compensation insurance carrier to compensate the injured employee for any permanent disability caused by the work injury. Also, the employee may be entitled to additional benefits from the Second Injury Fund (SIF), if there are one or more significant prior disabilities that affected the employee’s ability to work before the time of the new work injury, and the new work injury would also have to cause a significant disability to entitle the employee to proceeds due by the Second Injury Fund (SIF).
Many people worry needlessly that the new Missouri Tort Reform law of 2006 will prevent them from being able to pursue a Workers' Compensation Claim. The most practical change due to the new tort reform law is that the workplace accident must have been the "prevailing factor" in causing the injuries, and with repetitive motion injuries, the repetitive motion at work must been the prevailing factor/primary factor in causing the underlying condition, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and the disability.
The best benefit in a Workers' Compensation case is that 100% of the medical/healthcare treatment is to be paid for by the employer and/or workers' compensation insurance carrier. Often, injured employees will be told by the company's workers' compensation doctors that they do not need any further treatment. However, if you believe you need further treatment, your attorney can hire an expert witness doctor to review your records and examine you and provide an opinion on whether you need further medical treatment for your workplace injury and what additional treatment you need.
Such an opinion from the "employee's" physician will help get you the treatment you need. Usually the workers' compensation insurance company finally authorizes further treatment when this is done, requiring very few cases to actually go to trial on a medical hardship basis.
Our Firm can help you to obtain all the medical treatment you need because of your injuries from work, and obtain the most compensation you are entitled to pursuant to the law.