THE FOLLOWING IS GENERAL INFORMATION WHICH YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL. SINCE
EVERY CASE IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT, YOU SHOULD CALL OUR OFFICE AT (410) 358-
4338 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

WHAT IS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION?
Workers’ compensation is an insurance program under which State law requires all
employers to provide certain benefits to employees who are injured or become ill as a
result of their work.

WHO IS ENTITLED TO WORKERS COMPENSATION?
As the name implies, you must be an employee to receive workers compensation
benefits. This excludes an independent contractor. You should consult an attorney to
determine whether you are a covered employee or not. Also, you do not necessarily
have to be at your employer’s location to qualify for benefits. An employee who is out
driving or making a delivery for an employer can receive benefits. Also keep in mind that the law
requires employers to provide benefits even if an accident or illness was not an employer's fault.

ACCIDENTS AND JOB-RELATED ILLNESSES
There are two basic types of claims. The most common involves a job-related injury,
but you can also make a claim if you contract an illness due to your work. For example, a
worker’s repetitive use of the hands and wrists over a long time may cause carpel
tunnel syndrome, a painful condition in the wrists which often requires surgery. It is
often important to have the assistance of an attorney because employers or their
insurance companies usually argue that an injury or medical condition has nothing to
do with the job. For example, an older worker who falls and suffers a back injury may
discover the insurance company trying to deny benefits by claiming that he was
bound to have back problems at his age anyway.

WHAT BENEFITS AM I ENTITLED TO?
Maryland law requires an employer to pay all hospital and medical expenses for a
worker who is injured or becomes ill as a result of his or her employment. This
includes prescriptions and transportation costs for visits to the doctor.

The employer must also pay a worker who is totally disabled from working two-thirds
of his average weekly wage beginning on the fourth day he or she is out of work.
However, you cannot receive more than the average weekly wage of all Maryland
workers.

If you return to work after treatment but continue to have permanent symptoms from
your injury, your attorney can assist you in getting a disability rating which quantifies
the amount of your disability. For example, a doctor may decide after examining you
that you have lost 10% of the use of your back. The Workers’ Compensation
Commission uses a mathematical formula to translate such disabilities into a monetary
award for you. Usually, your employer’s insurance company will want their own
physician to examine you as well to confirm the amount of your disability. It is
common for doctors to disagree in which case a hearing will have to be held at the
Workers’ Compensation Commission to determine how much disability to award you.

If you are so severely injured that you cannot return to your former employment, you
may be entitled to vocational rehabilitation, a benefit which requires the employer to
try to find you other suitable employment and, in some cases, give you additional
training to help you find employment.

HOW DO I PAY MY ATTORNEY?
Maryland law sets the amount of fees which an attorney may charge a person filing an
workers’ compensation claim. You never need to lay out any money of your own for an
attorney. All fees come from money you are awarded during the course of your case.

CALL (410) 358-4338 TODAY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS!