While the workers’ compensation system was originally developed in Wisconsin to relieve the worker from the cost of hiring an attorney, that only applies to claims in a “perfect world” setting. A “perfect world” where the insurance company has conceded or accepted the injury claim and the injured worker is getting ALL the benefits that he is entitled too, without argument, delay, or hassle from the workers compensation insurance carrier.
Rarely does this “perfect world” happen when a Wisconsin worker is injured. The insurance company always has an eye out to deny the claim, lessen its exposure, and responsibility. With that mindset, the insurance company looks for reasons to not pay, delay, and ultimately deny. They have many tricks up their sleeves to either never pay or stop benefits. They may claim that the injury never occurred at work, or that the injury is personal to you and not related to what happened on the job. Or they may claim you did not report the injury timely, or that your rendition of how the injury occurred is a lie. Sometimes, they just ignore you and don’t even respond to your report of injury hoping you will just go away. Mays Law Office has seen and heard it all from workers compensation insurance carriers. When hiring an attorney, make sure you are choosing an attorney who has years of experience advocating for injured Wisconsin workers to ensure that you are getting every benefit you are entitled to under the law.
Even if you are not quite ready to hire an attorney, at the very least, make a call to Mays Law Office for a free consultation to discuss with Attorney Lisa Pierobon Mays if you are being treated fairly and legally by the insurance company and getting EVERY monetary benefit under the law.
During most consultations, Attorney Pierobon Mays can spot concerning issues, such as advising on benefits not told to you by the insurance company. For example, an injured worker is entitled to medical mileage reimbursement for treatment, therapy, and pharmacy runs at .51 cents a mile. Most insurance carriers will not tell the injured worker about such reimbursement. The injured worker simply needs to make the request for reimbursement by indicating the date and address traveled to determine mileage and the insurance adjuster has to pay. Or perhaps, the injured worker is having her privacy violated by a workers compensation nurse showing up at her appointments and going into the examination room with her and the doctor! Attorney Pierobon Mays will caution that the injured worker can deny such access and forbid this intrusion. Or, oftentimes, the injured worker does not know that they get to choose their own doctor; the workers compensation representative cannot dictate medical treatment. In Wisconsin, the injured worker chooses who they will treat with.
Often time, Attorney Lisa Pierobon Mays get calls from injured workers because they have been given notice that they must go see the workers compensation insurance doctor, termed “Independent Medical Examiner” or an “IME. Ironically, there is nothing independent about these doctors. These doctors are hired by the workers compensation insurance companies making thousands of dollars to help the insurance carrier review claims with a bent toward denying benefits. These doctors do not provide medical treatment. They see you for 15-30 minutes, at a rented facility, and ask you a few questions, all in the hopes that you will say something inconsistent or give them a bit of information to use against you. Like, when one injured worker told the doctor that before the injury he enjoyed weight lifting. The alleged “Independent Medical Examiner” then used this information about weightlifting to proclaim that this caused the injury and NOT the lifting of the 100 pound machine at work which caused him to drop to his knees screaming in pain.
During your initial consultation and conversation with Attorney Lisa Pierobon Mays, she will spot these troubling issues and guide you accordingly. Such as how to interact and communicate with these IME doctors. Attorney Pierobon Mays will quickly correct that this doctor’s appointment should be seen as an “adverse medical doctor” and not your friend or advocate. These doctors have an understood job to act in favor of the worker’s compensation carrier which is generally not in line with an injured worker’s interest in collecting benefits. So, while you may be getting benefits now, it is always good to have a familiar voice to call on in the event the insurance company tells you that it wants you to see their doctor/IME. Establishing a relationship with an experienced Wisconsin worker’s compensation attorney early on will give you confidence. Confidence that if in the future you need to hire an attorney then you have already established a relationship with Mays Law Office and confident in hiring them to advocate and collect for you.
If ultimately you do need to hire an attorney, under Wisconsin law, workers’ compensation lawyers can ONLY charge up to 20% of the amount of recovered compensation. This attorney fee is simply deducted from your payment; therefore you do not pay attorney fees until you receive compensation for your injury or illness. At Mays Law Office, we offer free consultations, often on the same day that you call.
Nothing can compensate you for the pain and suffering you have endured following a work-related injury, however receiving the workers compensation benefits that you are entitled to is an important step on the way back to recovery. Lisa Pierobon Mays can help guide you through the Wisconsin workers’ compensation system, working to ensure that you file the necessary paperwork within each specific time frame. Lisa stays involved with your claim from the moment you speak with her. She does not turn your claim over to a paralegal to handle your claim. Lisa stays in direct contact with you from your first contact, through your doctor appointments, to preparing your claim and you for a potential hearing, often pushing the workers compensation insurance company to make a fair settlement or defend itself at the hearing.
Lisa is not intimidated by any employer or insurance company. She has taken on the big box retailers and nationally recognized insurance companies in advocating for her clients. See the Mays Law Office 5-Star Google customer review rating. Those kinds of reviews and results tell it all.
For more information about how we can help now or in the future, contact Attorney Lisa Pierobon Mays at 608-257-0440 for a free consultation.