Filing a New York state workers’ compensation claim isn’t always as easy as it sounds. If you’ve gotten sick or injured on the job and you’re about to file one of these claims, there are 4 things you need to know:

1. You need a lawyer

Here’s the truth — you’re sick or injured, and you’re probably not a legal expert. You’re missing work, and you’re scared about what’s going to happen next. When you look it that way, you don’t have the knowledge or the strength to fight this all by yourself. Instead, you need a New York state workers’ compensation lawyer who can fight for your rights.

2. These cases can be tough

You might think it’s very cut and dry — you got sick or injured at work, and now you need money to pay for your medical expenses and missed time. Unfortunately, though, it’s not always that easy. In fact, some companies (or their insurance companies) go out of their way not to pay workers’ compensation claims — even though the employee legitimately deserves the money.

Even if you have the very best attorney, you’ll need to prepare yourself emotionally for your NY state workers’ compensation case. You’ll have to be tough to get through it.

3. The laws keep changing

NY state workers’ compensation laws have gone through a makeover of sorts over the last few years, and there’s no reason to think that the changes won’t keep coming for the next several years.

That’s why it’s so important to find a lawyer who’s devoted to keeping up with all of the latest legal news and developments. If you wind up with a lawyer who doesn’t keep track of every single detail, it can wind up coming back to bite you in the end.

4. Don’t discount the idea of going on disability

If your illness or injury turns into something permanent, you might not be able to go back to work. Luckily, that’s why Social Security disability coverage was invented. If your doctor determines that you can’t work anymore, you’ll need a Social Security disability attorney to fight on your behalf.

Fortunately, many of the good workers’ compensation lawyers can also act as a great Social Security disability attorney. That way, you won’t have to hunt for another lawyer to help you. Instead, you can simply use the lawyer you worked with in your workers’ compensation case.

Lee Braunstein has been helping New York’s workers’ compensation victims for decades. See what he can do for you at www.leebraunstein.com.