Fear of Job Loss Is a Major Factor in Workers’ Compensation Recovery Time
A June 19, 2014 story in Business Insider reported that a study showed that workers who suffer a workplace accident and who are nervous about losing their jobs have a longer recovery period than workers who feel good about keeping their job. The study was performed by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute located in Massachusetts. 3,200 workers in seven states, including North Carolina and Virginia, were questioned. 47% of North Carolina workers, the highest in any state, had job security concerns.
The study showed that workers who worried about job security took, on average, four weeks longer to recover than workers who did not have to worry about their job being there for them when they got better. The fear of losing a job also contributed to dissatisfaction with the workers’ compensation process – the part about getting proper medical care. 9% of the workers who were comfortable complained that getting the right medical care was a big problem, while 20% of the workers who worried about their job complained that getting the correct medical care was a major problem.
Workers who are injured on the job have the right to get proper medical treatment so they can return to work. They normally also get 2/3rds of their wages while they are absent from work. Under North Carolina and Virginia law, workers do not have to prove the employer was at fault for the accident. Getting the right medical treatment is something a skilled Norfolk workers’ compensation lawyer will work to address. Medical care should be paid for by the employer.
Contact a Norfolk Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for More Information
Norfolk workers’ compensation lawyer Joe Miller at Joe Miller Law, helps employees enforce their rights under Virginia and North Carolina workers’ compensation laws. He’s helped thousands of injured workers in his 25 years of experience, and he knows what it takes to effectively fight for the rights and interests of workplace accident victims. Call him today at (888) 694-1671 if you or someone you love has been injured on the job.
