You’ve been injured at work in Kansas City, and you have questions. Maybe you have more than just questions - you have real concerns about what happens next: your medical treatment, your ability to work, and who is supposed to be handling what. If you seek out a workers’ compensation attorney for answers, make sure they know what they’re talking about and truly give a damn about your case.
A client of ours initially contacted one of the big firms everyone sees on TV. She was pressured into signing a contract before even speaking with the attorney who would represent her. She had been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by another driver while working, which meant she had both a personal injury claim and a workers’ compensation claim against her employer. Things got complicated because the other driver didn’t have liability insurance, so only her uninsured motorist coverage applied. Here’s where it gets interesting.
Normally, when workers’ compensation pays for treatment and disability benefits, they can recover some or all of that money against a personal injury claim for the same accident, but in Missouri, this only applies against the negligent driver’s insurance. It does not apply to uninsured motorist coverage. Unfortunately, her original attorney didn’t know this and even suggested she dismiss her workers’ compensation claim if the workers’ compensation carrier would give up its right to reimbursement for medical bills.
In other words, her prior attorney was willing to sacrifice her workers’ compensation benefits to maximize their own fee from the personal injury claim. The problem? She could pursue both claims without giving up any of her benefits. Thankfully, our client recognized that something wasn’t right and reached out to us for help.
We took her case to a hearing and secured an award of over $84,000 in workers’ compensation benefits. Ironically, her uninsured motorist coverage only allowed for a settlement of $25,000 on the personal injury claim. If she had stayed with her previous attorney, she would have lost out on $84,000 due to a lack of knowledge about Missouri law.
At Haight Stang, LLC, our Kansas City workers' compensation attorneys know the laws, fight for injured workers, and ensure you get the benefits you deserve. Don’t risk losing money because your attorney doesn’t understand the law - we make sure every client is fully protected.
Call Us Today
If you’ve been injured at work, don’t wait. Call today at 913-815-1347 to schedule a free consultation. Our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys are ready to guide you through the claims process and fight for the compensation you deserve.