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Injured On The Job? Create A Portable Office To Help Your Lawyer Win Your Worker's Compensation Case

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Worker's compensation benefits are designed to provide compensation for loss of work, medical bills, and even pain and suffering if you're injured on the job. By accepting worker's compensation benefits, you relinquish your rights to sue your employer for negligence. But the trade-off can be well worth it as long as you can prove your worker's compensation case. Here's how to create a portable office in your briefcase that you can take to meetings with your lawyer to help him or her win your case:

Location Photos

It is important to document when and how your injury took place at work so your lawyer and other officials can easily verify the legitimacy of your claim. Taking photos of the equipment that injured you will provide insight into how the injury took place. If possible, reenact the experience of the injury incident through photos or a video to create a visual tool that helps others understand how and why the injury took place.

Photos and videos that document how the incident took place will help rule out the possibility that the injury happened elsewhere or in another way. Have copies made of the photos and videos you take to keep as records, and put the originals in your briefcase to give to your lawyer.

Witness Information

One of the most effective ways to prove your worker's compensation claim is to identify witnesses who saw the injury take place, and to collect information about them that can be used by your attorney to gather valuable evidence for inclusion in your worker's compensation case. Some things your lawyer may want to know include:

  • Names and phone numbers.
  • Addresses.
  • Written accounts of the injury.

Ask witnesses to document this information on a piece of paper and make two copies, keeping a set for yourself and putting the others in your portable office for review by your lawyer and state officials.

Medical Documents

Keeping all of the receipts and reports you accumulate from doctor's visits will help to prove the extent of your injuries and the fact that you can't go back to work. These documents also provide financial insight into how much you should be compensated for your injuries. It's a good idea to have your doctor write a letter on your behalf explaining how your injuries took place and how long you will more than likely be out of work. In addition to making copies for yourself to keep, you can have the originals signed by a notary to prove their legitimacy for your lawyer.

Recovery Documentation

Keeping tabs on your recovery with the help of photos and video can come in handy both at the onset of your case, and throughout the compensation period. This will help prove your inability to work as time goes on. Alternatively, you can keep a small daily log of your progress in a notebook that helps to account for the extent of your injuries and your need for ongoing worker's compensation. Make a copy of your reporting once a week and add the documents to your briefcase so they're ready to hand over to your lawyer the next time you meet.

Letters from Family and Friends

It may also be helpful to have friends and family write letters about your condition and their insight into your pain, suffering, and struggles with keeping up with the bills. An initial account from immediate family should be created and put in your portable office before your first meeting with your lawyer if possible. This will provide some personal insight into your situation right away, which can come in handy when officials determine whether or not and how much you'll be compensated.

Ongoing accounts of your progress from those close to you can be given to your lawyer at any time while you're receiving worker's compensation benefits – these reports can help officials determine how long you'll continue receiving your benefits.

With these pieces of evidence on your side, it should be easy to click here and prove your worker's compensation case you can maintain your quality of life until you're able to get back to work. 


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