Does Union Membership Affect A Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Unions are a wonderful thing for the worker. They represent a tradesperson’s rights and make sure they are paid fairly. When you first join a union, you will have some paperwork to fill out, but otherwise, your new union-represented job is just another job, albeit a better-paying one. However, what about when you get hurt?
If you belong to a union and suffer a job-related injury or illness, you need experienced help. With a track record of successful results and decades of experience, the lawyers at Meshbesher Law Firm can fight for the benefits you deserve.
Does Having Union Representation Change The Process?
The short answer: yes and no. If you suffered an injury while working, most likely one of your first phone calls will be to your union representative, if someone else doesn’t beat you to it. After getting hurt at work, having a union can help. Not only will they help you get the medical treatment you need for the injury, but they will help walk you through the claim process. They can also make sure that your medical paper trail gets started up, as well as gather evidence that will help your lawyer support your case.
Your union representative will also make sure that your job is secure while you are healing. Often employers find several tricky but strictly legal ways to relieve you of your employment just because they had to use workers’ compensation insurance and spend money making their facilities safer. However, if it means kicking the hornet’s nest that is an angry union, your employer is much less likely to take that risk.
A Union Can Benefit Your Case
Essentially, a union does a lot of what a good workers’ compensation lawyer does for you, but earlier. Unions will make your lawyer’s job easier because they know what is needed to settle cases quickly. Often by the time you contact a lawyer to represent you, many crucial ways to quickly prove your injury already passed. But when you have a union representative working for you, they will make sure that is not the case.
Preventing Future Accidents
One of the major benefits of having a union behind you is that they will make sure that the accident which afflicted you will never happen again. Unions and employers can work harmoniously together to make sure everything up to OSHA safety standards for the safety of the worker. This means that your steward will come in and look at why you were hurt and how that can be prevented in the future. If there is a violation in safety standards, rest assured, it will get fixed.
Let Us Handle The Legal Work
Your union representative can guide you through the start of the workers’ compensation process. But eventually, you need to find a good lawyer to handle the rest of the legal heavy lifting. A union steward can take you far, but after a certain point, they need to deliver you into your attorney’s helpful hands.
Schedule a free consultation to learn more. Arrange yours by emailing our office or by calling 612-349-5215.