Experienced Counsel Working for Maryland Workers

When you suffer a workplace injury or occupational illness, your entire life can change in an instant. You might be unable to continue working and participate in the activities you once enjoyed. Not only can a job-related injury take a physical toll on you, but it can also have a significant financial impact on your family. Importantly, Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation helps those who have been hurt at work secure the benefits they need to move forward.

The Workers’ Compensation process can often be confusing to navigate — and often, workers aren’t aware of the full scope of benefits to which they’re entitled. But when you are represented by the Law Office of Sara El-Shall, you can rest assured that you have an attorney who will walk with you every step of the way. Attorney Sara El-Shall is dedicated to ensuring each of her clients fully understands their rights and receive the full amount of benefits available under the law.

Fighting for the Benefits You Need to Move Forward

No one expects to be hurt while they’re on the job. Unfortunately, these types of accidents can occur without warning, despite all the precautions you may have taken. Although a worker is not allowed to pursue a personal injury action against their employer for work-related injuries, they may be able to recover their monetary losses by filing a Workers’ Compensation claim.

An injured worker may be entitled to the following types of Workers’ Compensation benefits in Maryland:

• Vocational rehabilitation benefits — When a worker cannot return to their prior job due to an injury, they may be eligible for assistance in re-entering the workforce. In these cases, a vocational rehabilitation specialist may be enlisted to provide training, vocational counseling, and testing to help a worker return to work.
• Wage reimbursement benefits — In addition to the other wage-replacement benefits they might be eligible to receive, Workers’ Compensation insurance may be required to pay a worker for the time they spent at certain medical appointments, as well as traveling to and from the appointment.
• Mileage reimbursement benefits — Workers’ Compensation insurance must reimburse an injured worker for their time and travel costs to and from medical appointments at the mileage rate set by the state.
• Medical expenses — Workers’ Compensation insurance is responsible for the medical expenses incurred in treating an injured worker’s job-related condition. For instance, they might be responsible to cover hospital bills, X-rays, MRIs, prescriptions, and physical therapy costs.
• Disability benefits — There are four categories of disability benefits connected with Maryland Workers’ Compensation, including temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, permanent partial disability, and permanent total disability. Each offers different degrees of financial assistance and alternative work accommodations.

Not all workplace injuries are compensable — under Maryland statute, an injury must have arisen “out of and in the course of employment” in order to be eligible for benefits. Whether you were involved in a construction or industrial accident, fell from a ladder, suffered electrocution, or developed an illness related to the conditions in your workplace, Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation can be critical. With a commitment to working on behalf of workers and providing them with the legal assistance they need, Attorney Sara El-Shall will skillfully assess the facts of your case and fight for your right to the benefits you deserve.

Understanding Maryland Workers’ Compensation Disability Benefits

Understanding Maryland Workers’ Compensation disability benefits can be confusing. The type of disability benefits to which you may be entitled are based on 1) whether the medical condition is temporary or permanent and 2) whether it leads to total or partial disability. In other words, a worker may be totally disabled or partially disabled — either temporarily or permanently.

With a temporary partial disability, the injury or illness might impact the worker’s ability to work but it is not completely debilitating. These benefits are available to those who have rejoined the workforce but have not yet reached the point of maximum medical improvement. For instance, they may be working part time or be on light duty. In such cases, a worker may be eligible to receive compensation equal to 50% of the difference between their average weekly wage and the wage-earning capacity of the employee while recovering.

Temporary total disability is also not permanent. It allows an injured worker to recover when they are completely unable to work for a period of time when they cannot perform limited or part-time work. These benefits are equal to two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage — and are capped at the average Maryland weekly wage.

A permanent partial disability is classified as one from which a worker will never fully recover, although they may be able to re-enter the workforce. These benefits compensate a worker for a reduced body function and are paid at different rates depending on the nature of the injury. Permanent partial disability benefits are only paid for a certain amount of time specific to the disability. In contrast, a permanent total disability is when a worker is unable to re-enter the workforce. Workers who are eligible may receive up to two-thirds of their weekly wage for life unless they are no longer permanently, totally disabled.

Attorney Sara El-Shall has deep insight and a thorough understanding of the nuances associated with obtaining Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation disability benefits. Applying her years of experience, acumen, and extensive knowledge, she makes sure her clients don’t face the challenges of securing Workers’ Compensation disability benefits alone.

Contact a Compassionate and Capable Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Attorney

If you were injured in the workplace, a Workers’ Compensation attorney can assist you with obtaining the benefits to which you are entitled. The Law Office of Sara El-Shall offers skillful representation and effective advocacy to workers who have been hurt on the job throughout the greater Baltimore area, as well as in Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, Cecil, Montgomery, Frederick, Prince George’s counties, southern Maryland, and the eastern shore. Call (410) 656-2909 to schedule a consultation.