Maryland Workers Compensation
An on the job injury can occur in any occupation, workplace or profession. We have over thirty years experience in representing injured workers from a wide variety of occupations including Bus and Metro drivers, construction workers, office staff, grocery and department store employees, warehouse workers, delivery drivers, public school teachers and support staff, local government employees, laborers, hotel employees, factory workers and any industry you can think of. The system used to determine your eligibility for benefits is complex and many people are mistakenly denied benefits, had them discontinued or been denied ongoing medical care and treatment.
As a basic rule, any person employed in the State of Maryland may file a claim for workers' compensation benefits. Workers' compensation benefits include wage loss (temporary total disability), medical treatment for related injuries for life, vocational rehabilitation, and certain monetary benefits for permanent impairments (permanent partial disability) or permanent total disability. The Workers' Compensation Commission of Maryland is a state agency responsible for all workers' compensation claims and holds hearings on any issues in dispute between the employer and the insurance company.
Notice of an injury must be given by the employee to the employer within 10 days of the injury for an accident and 30 days of a death. The notice can be written or oral. Failure to give notice may be excused by the Commission if there was sufficent reason for the failure and it does not prejudice the employer. A claim must be filed with the Maryland Workers' Compensaton Commission within 2 years of the accident or the claim will be barred forever.
Notice of an occupational disease must be given within one year after the employee knows or has reason to believe he or she has an occupational disease. This usually happens when a physician tells the employee tha he or she has a disease process caused by work conditions, such as repetitive motion or carpal tunnel disease.
An injury must arise out of and in the course of his or her employment. Sometimes a work related injury may result in two separate claims if the employee is injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by another person or is injured at work or a construction site by an employee of another separate company. In such a case there would be both a workers' compensation claim and a third party claim against the other negligent party. These type of claims especially require an attorney's help and experience.
We have represented clients in workers' compensation claims all over Maryland including Laurel, Clinton, Annapolis, Silver Spring, Suitland, Glen Burnie, Waldorf, La Plata, Prince Frederick, Bowie, Upper Marlboro, Oxon Hill, Beltsville, Fort Meade, Huntingtown and on the Eastern Shore towns and cities of Denton, Berlin, Salisbury, Ocean City and Cambridge. With over 30 years of experience, we can help you receive the benefits that you are entitled to under the law.