Understanding Workers' Compensation in Alabama: What Injured Workers Need to Know
Your Rights, Benefits, and Next Steps After a Workplace Injury in Alabama
Alabama’s workers’ compensation system exists to restore a degree of balance when disruptions occur. However, the process is far from simple. Understanding your rights requires more than a surface-level explanation.
At the Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr., helping injured workers understand how the law applies to their unique circumstances is a priority. If you are trying to recover while unsure of what steps to take next, understanding how the system works can be the foundation for getting your benefits in place. Our skilled Alabama workers’ compensation lawyer is standing by to provide you with a confidential consultation and help you deal with all of the challenges.
Who Qualifies for Workers’ Compensation in Alabama?
Alabama law requires most employers with five or more employees to carry workers’ compensation coverage. The statute applies regardless of whether a worker is part-time or full-time, salaried or hourly. Independent contractors typically fall outside of the law’s protections, although the distinction between employee and contractor is not always clear-cut.
In order to receive benefits, an employee must have suffered an injury or illness that arose out of and during the course of their employment. This includes not just sudden accidents but also occupational illnesses and repetitive stress injuries. A seasoned Alabama workers’ compensation attorney will know how to identify whether your condition qualifies under the law, even when your employer or their insurer says otherwise.
What Benefits Are Available Under Alabama’s Law?
Medical care is one of the primary benefits of a workers’ compensation claim, but it is far from the only one. Covered workers may also receive partial wage replacement if they are unable to work for a certain period of time. These benefits typically amount to two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage, subject to state-mandated limits. Long-term or permanent disabilities may result in additional payments, depending on the severity of the impairment and how it affects a person’s ability to work.
The insurance company chooses the treating physician. That fact alone can raise questions about objectivity and fairness. Your Alabama workers’ compensation lawyer will be prepared to contest unfavorable medical opinions and push back against premature return-to-work demands.
Understanding the Claims Process – and Why It Gets Complicated
After a workplace injury, there is a limited window to report the incident. The law states that you need to notify your supervisor within five (5) days of the accident. However, they are circumstances that can extend that notice to within 90 days or the claim will likely be barred. From there, the employer or their insurer decides whether to accept or deny the claim. Many workers are unaware that initial denials are common, even when the facts are in their favor.
Disputes over medical treatment, benefit amounts, or claim validity can lead to litigation. A qualified Alabama workers’ compensation attorney will file a complaint with the Alabama Department of Workforce (formerly the Department of Labor) and, if necessary, represent the worker before a circuit court judge. That process involves gathering medical records, preparing sworn statements, and presenting the case at hearings.
Why You Need the Support of an Alabama Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Once a claim becomes contested, the worker is at a disadvantage without legal guidance. Insurers often operate from a position of delay and denial. Having legal representation means someone else is responsible for dealing with the insurance carrier’s tactics, not the injured person.
A dedicated Alabama workers’ compensation attorney will move the claim forward with urgency, not excuses. At the Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr., claim delays and benefit denials do not go unchallenged. Find out more about how we can help by using our online form to schedule your confidential case review.
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.
The Law Office of Richard F. Matthews, Jr. serves Montgomery County, Pike County, Elmore County, Autauga County, the River Region of Alabama and throughout the State of Alabama, including Montgomery, Troy, Wetumpka Prattville, Selma and Tuskegee. No attorney-client relationship is established by requesting a consultation or emailing Attorney Richard F. Matthews, Jr.. Information submitted in such communication is not privileged and may be subject to disclosure.
