Personal Injury Cases | Greensburg | Westmoreland Injury Lawyers

3 Common Mistakes Made After a Work Injury and How to Avoid Them

“What happens if I get hurt at work?” is a loaded question we deal with a lot at Westmoreland Injury Lawyers. In fact, if you’re reading this article, you’ve likely made your way here by searching for just that question!

As professional workers’ comp lawyers, we understand how the ins and outs of all the paperwork and legal jargon can be overwhelming for employees like yourself. And while our firm is small, we’re a mighty local team of attorneys and dedicated paralegals with over 30 years of workers’ compensation experience on our side. We understand how the workers’ compensation system works in Pennsylvania. Period.

With that depth of experience, we’ve also seen a lot of easily avoidable mistakes that employees have made after they’re injured at work. Today, we’re going to discuss some of the most common errors we see with workers’ compensation claims and how you can better prevent them and protect yourself in the future.

How Do Personal Injury Settlements Work?

A little while ago, we published a post here on the Westmoreland Injury Lawyers blog that discussed what it takes to get the most possible compensation from your personal injury case. It is just as true now as it was then that maximizing your compensation comes down to one big factor—hiring an experienced and capable personal injury attorney who is driven to get the best results for their valued clients.

Beyond that, we understand that the average individual seeking help with their personal injury case will still have many questions about the personal injury settlement process. Today’s post seeks to provide a few insights into some of the biggest questions.

5 Most Common FAQs About Getting In A Fender Bender

Here at Westmoreland Injury Lawyers, one of the biggest things we do better for our Western PA neighbors is help them recover from auto accidents of all types and circumstances. This includes even the most minor fender bender situations, which can still cause extensive pain and suffering—much more frequently than many people even imagine.

Today’s post here on the blog is dedicated to answering some on the essential FAQs (frequently asked questions) we hear from prospective clients and their loved ones about so-called fender benders or minor vehicle accidents. And while these questions may seem somewhat basic on the surface, the right answers are anything but simple in many cases.

Luckily, experienced personal injury attorneys like us are here to guide you through auto accidents involving anything from distracted driving to poor road design that creates dangerous conditions for drivers. Read on for answers to your most pressing fender bender FAQs, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for a comprehensive review of your car accident details.

Workers’ Comp Claims Are Insurance Processes, Not Suing Your Employer

There is a common misconception that being hurt on the job means you will have to sue your employer to recover compensation for your injuries. This idea naturally scares many people, and plenty of employees who have experienced a workplace injury suffer silently—and unnecessarily—to avoid what they believe will be a confrontational and emotionally fraught situation at work.

However, making a workers’ compensation (WC) claim in most situations will involve working through an established WC insurance process specially designed to eliminate the need to sue your employer and avoid a fight. If you’ve been hurt, disabled, or developed an illness while working, it is your right to make a workers’ comp claim, and you should not avoid doing so out of fear.

What to Know About Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits

A little while ago, we covered the basics of the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs in our Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer chapter about how these government-based benefits can help if you are disabled.

However, the fact remains that applying for Social Security Disability in the first place can be complicated and frustrating, especially if you receive a denial of benefits for yourself or a disabled loved one you’re assisting.

Today’s blog post takes a closer look at the SSD application process specifically, and shares some of the situations in which consulting an experienced personal injury lawyer for help is your best course of action.

Why “Standard of Care” is Important to Your Medical Malpractice Case

As we have often discussed in our Westmoreland Injury Lawyers blog articles, there are many variables in medical treatment scenarios that can lead to patients experiencing severe bodily harm. Medical malpractice is the legal term used to describe these situations when a healthcare provider makes an avoidable mistake or acts negligently, resulting in injury or illness of their patient.

Proving medical malpractice, though, can be complicated. Among other factors, your attorney must show that your physician or other healthcare provider deviated from something called the “standard of care.” Today’s post explains a little bit more about what that means in medical malpractice cases.

How to Stay Safe and Informed During an FDA Recall of Your Medication

Our chapter on drug recalls within Your Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer outlines just how frighteningly common FDA recall actions on pharmaceutical products are in the United States today. In that chapter, we also touched on some of the things you should do to protect yourself when your medication or other medical devices you rely on are discovered to be defective and officially recalled.

Due to the recent—and still developing—Zantac recall, we’re delving a little deeper into FDA recalls of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines in today’s post.

If you’re afraid you’ve been injured or have gotten sick from taking any recalled drug, get in touch with an experienced personal injury attorney today. In the meantime, learn more about what to do when the FDA announces a drug recall for any medication you or your loved ones currently take or have used at any time in the past.

5 Big Tips for Filing a Car Accident Insurance Claim the Right Way

As we shared in the Your Complete Guide to Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer chapter on auto injury settlements, the settlement and claims process begins at the accident scene, even before you file your car accident insurance claim.

There are many actions you need to make sure you take following an auto accident—and one big thing you need to make sure you don’t do—to set the stage for a better claims experience, whether you’ve been seriously injured or not. Today’s post offers a few tips on those actions.

Of course, sometimes, insurance companies aren’t cooperative, especially in cases where injuries are involved. They often try to close claims much too quickly, and accident victims are left with insufficient compensation for their injuries. This is why it is imperative to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer when you’re hurt in a vehicle accident.

Do You Have a Zantac Cancer Case? Call Our Law Firm in Greensburg, PA Right Now.

If you or a loved one have been taking Zantac or generic/store brand versions of the popular over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn remedy ranitidine, and you have been diagnosed with cancer of the bladder, uterus, stomach, kidneys, or liver, you need to call a personal injury attorney right away.

The lawyers in our Greensburg law office are your best resource for determining whether you should file a Zantac cancer lawsuit in light of the current Zantac and ranitidine drug recall by the FDA.

Call us now, or continue reading for more information about this recalled drug and your rights as someone who has experienced an injury from it.

Returning to Work After Workers’ Compensation

After spending time on the mend from a workplace injury, you may be feeling anxious about your return to work. The workers’ compensation (WC) process can be complicated—especially for individuals dealing with their first-ever workers’ comp claim. On top of that, moving beyond an injury can also be emotionally challenging.

Knowing your rights and seeking the counsel of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney can make returning to work much easier. However, we realize that you may still be unsure whether your WC case requires legal advice and support. We’re here to show you how nearly all individuals on workers’ compensation leave will absolutely benefit from an experienced personal injury lawyer’s assistance as they recover and get back on the job. Continue reading “Returning to Work After Workers’ Compensation”