If you were injured at work in Freehold, New Jersey, you may be entitled to medical treatment paid for by workers’ compensation, temporary disability benefits while you are unable to work, and compensation for a permanent injury.
For nearly 20 years, attorney Michael S. Williams and the Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC have represented injured New Jersey workers and recovered millions of dollars in workers’ compensation benefits.
We regularly appear in the Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court, where Monmouth County workers’ compensation cases are heard.
After a Work Injury, You May Be Entitled To:
- •100% covered authorized medical treatment
- •Temporary disability benefits equal to 70% of your gross wages, subject to statutory limits
- •Compensation for permanent injuries
- •Benefits for occupational illnesses and repetitive-work injuries
- •Additional compensation through a third-party personal injury claim when someone other than your employer caused the accident
Call 732-351-2800 for a free consultation with a Freehold workers’ compensation lawyer.
Telephone and virtual consultations are also available.
Why Injured Workers Choose Our Firm
Workers’ compensation insurance carriers control medical treatment in New Jersey. Disputes frequently arise over whether additional treatment is necessary, when an employee can return to work, whether temporary disability benefits should continue, and the extent of permanent disability.
Our firm represents injured workers throughout this process.
We can:
- •Seek authorization for necessary medical treatment
- •Challenge denied and delayed workers’ compensation claims
- •Pursue temporary disability benefits
- •Challenge the premature termination of medical treatment
- •Address disputes over an injured worker’s ability to return to work
- •File motions for medical and temporary disability benefits
- •Pursue permanent partial and permanent total disability awards
- •Handle hearings, negotiations and court appearances
- •Investigate potential third-party personal injury claims
When a dispute requires court intervention, we are prepared to take the issue before the Workers’ Compensation Court.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Available After a Freehold Work Injury
New Jersey workers’ compensation provides several types of benefits to employees who suffer compensable workplace injuries and occupational conditions.
Medical Treatment
The employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier is responsible for providing and paying for authorized medical treatment necessary to treat a compensable work injury.
Treatment may include:
- •Emergency care
- •Doctor visits
- •Diagnostic testing
- •Physical therapy
- •Injections
- •Surgery
- •Prescription medication
- Other medically necessary authorized treatment
In New Jersey, the employer or its workers’ compensation carrier generally has the right to select the authorized treating physicians.
If necessary treatment is denied, delayed or prematurely terminated, we seek relief through the Workers’ Compensation Court to order all treatment to cure or relieve a workplace injury or illness.
Temporary Disability Benefits
If a compensable workplace injury prevents you from working, you are entitled to temporary disability benefits equal to 70% of your average weekly wage, subject to the statutory minimum and maximum rates.
Temporary disability disputes can arise when an authorized physician releases an employee to work despite continuing symptoms or when an insurance carrier contends that additional treatment is unnecessary.
We evaluate whether benefits were properly terminated and whether additional medical treatment or temporary disability benefits should be pursued.
Permanent Partial Disability
An employee who suffers a permanent loss of function from a work-related injury is entitled to a permanent partial disability award.
The value of the claim depends upon factors including the nature and extent of the permanent disability, the body part involved and the applicable statutory rate.
Permanent Total Disability
When a work injury leaves an employee permanently unable to return to gainful employment, the employee may potentially qualify for permanent total disability benefits.
Dependency and Death Benefits
When a compensable workplace injury or occupational condition results in death, qualifying dependents may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Workers’ Compensation Results for Injured New Jersey Workers
The Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC has obtained substantial workers’ compensation awards for injured employees, including:
$136,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury suffered by a liquor store employee
$123,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back and shoulder injuries in a workers’ compensation reopener
$103,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury suffered while moving a desk
$103,000 Workers’ Compensation Award
Back injury involving air-conditioning units
Every case is different and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Common Workplace Injuries We Handle
We represent Freehold workers suffering from many different types of workplace injuries and occupational conditions, including:
- •Back and spinal injuries
- •Herniated and bulging discs
- •Neck injuries
- •Shoulder injuries
- •Knee injuries
- •Hip injuries
- •Hand and wrist injuries
- •Foot and ankle injuries
- •Construction accidents
- •Warehouse and retail injuries
- •Fall at work
- •Repetitive stress and overuse injuries
- •Work-related motor vehicle accidents
- •Occupational exposure and illness
- •Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- •Psychological and neuropsychological injuries
- •Aggravation of pre-existing conditions
A workplace injury does not always result from one sudden accident.
Employees can also develop compensable conditions from repetitive work activities or occupational exposures occurring over time.
Similarly, having a pre-existing injury or medical condition does not automatically prevent you from receiving workers’ compensation benefits when your employment materially aggravates or accelerates the condition.
What Should I Do After a Work Injury in Freehold?
Taking appropriate steps after a workplace accident can help protect your workers’ compensation claim.
Report the Injury to Your Employer
Notify your employer or supervisor about the accident as soon as possible. Do not assume someone else will report the injury for you.
Request Authorized Medical Treatment
If you need medical treatment, ask your employer where you should obtain authorized workers’ compensation care.
Document the Accident and Your Injuries
When possible, preserve information concerning:
- •How the accident happened
- •Where and when it occurred
- •Witnesses
- •Your injuries and symptoms
- •Communications with your employer
- •Medical appointments
- •Time missed from work
Attend Your Medical Appointments
Attend authorized medical appointments and follow reasonable treatment recommendations. Missed appointments and unexplained gaps in treatment can become issues in a disputed claim.
Contact an Attorney if Treatment or Benefits Are Denied
You do not have to wait for the insurance carrier to formally deny your entire workers’ compensation claim.
Legal assistance may be appropriate when:
- •Medical treatment is delayed or denied
- •A doctor prematurely discharges you from treatment
- •You are released to work before you believe you can perform your job
- •Temporary disability benefits are stopped
- •The insurance carrier refuses recommended diagnostic testing or treatment
- •Your employer refuses to report the accident
- •The carrier disputes whether your injury is work-related
Call 732-351-2800 to discuss your Freehold workers’ compensation claim.
Third-Party Claims After a Workplace Accident
Workers’ compensation generally provides medical treatment, temporary disability and permanent disability benefits, but it does not ordinarily compensate an injured employee for pain and suffering.
If someone other than your employer or a coworker negligently caused your workplace accident, you may also have a separate personal injury claim.
Examples include accidents involving:
- •Negligent driver
- •Maintenance company
- •Property owner
- •Contractors or subcontractors
- •Property owners
- •Maintenance companies
- •Defective products or equippment
- •Other negligent third parties
A third-party personal injury claim may provide compensation for pain and suffering and other damages that are not available through workers’ compensation.
Our firm handles both workers’ compensation and personal injury claims, allowing us to investigate all potential sources of compensation arising from a workplace accident.
Freehold Workers’ Compensation Cases and Monmouth County
Freehold is particularly important to workers’ compensation claims in Monmouth County because the Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court serves Monmouth County workers’ compensation cases.
Our firm represents injured employees from Freehold and communities throughout Monmouth County.
If your work injury occurred outside Freehold but you live elsewhere in Monmouth County, learn more about our Monmouth County workers’ compensation representation:
We also represent injured workers in communities including:
- Tinton Falls
- Red Bank
- Middletown
- Long Branch
- Asbury Park
- Neptune
- Manalapan
- Wall
- Holmdel
- Marlboro
- Colts Neck
- Eatontown
Frequently Asked Questions About Freehold Workers Compensation Claims
Where Is the Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court?
The Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court is located at:
2 Paragon Way #200, Freehold, NJ 07728
Our firm regularly appears in the Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court representing injured workers.
Do I Have to Prove My Employer Was Negligent?
No. New Jersey workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. An injured employee does not have to prove that the employer negligently caused the workplace accident in order to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.
Can I Choose My Own Doctor?
Generally, the employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier has the right to select the authorized treating medical providers.
That does not mean an injured employee has no recourse when treatment is inadequate or necessary treatment is denied.
When appropriate, we can seek additional treatment through the Workers’ Compensation Court.
Can I Be Fired for Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
New Jersey law prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee because the employee claimed or attempted to claim workers’ compensation benefits.
Whether a particular termination or other employment action constitutes unlawful retaliation depends upon the circumstances.
A potential retaliation claim can involve rights and remedies separate from the underlying workers’ compensation case.
How Much Does a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Cost?
There are no upfront attorney’s fees to file a workers’ compensation claim with our office.
Attorney’s fees in a New Jersey workers’ compensation case are subject to approval by the Workers’ Compensation Court.
Initial consultations with our firm are free.
How Long Do I Have to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
A New Jersey workers’ compensation Claim Petition generally must be filed within two years of the date of the injury or the last payment of compensation, whichever is later.
Authorized medical treatment may constitute payment of compensation for purposes of the statute.
Different rules apply to certain occupational disease claims.
Because filing deadlines can depend upon the particular facts of a claim, injured employees should not wait until the end of the limitations period to seek legal advice.
Can I Reopen My Workers’ Compensation Case if My Condition Gets Worse?
Certain workers’ compensation awards can be reopened when an injured employee’s condition materially worsens, provided the application is made within the applicable statutory period.
Whether a particular settlement can be reopened also depends upon how the original case was resolved.
If a prior work-related injury has worsened, contact us to determine whether you may have the right to seek additional benefits.
What if My Employer Refuses to Report My Work Injury?
An employer’s refusal to voluntarily report an accident does not necessarily prevent an injured worker from pursuing workers’ compensation benefits.
We can investigate the workers’ compensation carrier, provide notice of the claim and file a Claim Petition when appropriate.
What if the Workers’ Compensation Doctor Sends Me Back to Work Too Soon?
A release to return to work can affect temporary disability benefits, but it does not necessarily end every dispute concerning medical treatment or disability.
If you believe you are being returned to work before you are physically capable of performing your job, contact an attorney promptly so the medical and factual circumstances can be evaluated.
Personal Attention From an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney
A serious workplace injury can affect your health, your ability to earn a living and your family’s financial security.
You may be waiting for treatment, receiving less income because you cannot work, or being pressured to return to work despite continuing symptoms.
Our firm provides direct, hands-on representation throughout the workers’ compensation process.
When you work with us, you can expect:
- •Direct communication with your attorney
- •Careful review of your medical treatment
- •Attention to temporary disability and return-to-work issues
- •Court action when necessary treatment or benefits are denied
- •Representation at hearings and court proceedings
- •Evaluation of potential third-party claims
- •An attorney who regularly handles cases in the Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court
Speak With a Freehold Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you were injured at work in Freehold, the Law Offices of Michael S. Williams, LLC can evaluate your claim and explain the medical, temporary disability and permanent disability benefits that may be available.
Attorney Michael S. Williams has represented injured New Jersey workers for nearly 20 years and regularly handles cases in the Freehold Workers’ Compensation Court.
With offices in Tinton Falls and New Brunswick, we represent injured workers in Freehold, throughout Monmouth County and across New Jersey.
Call 732-351-2800 for a Free Consultation
You can also contact us online to schedule a telephone, virtual or in-office consultation.
There is no upfront attorney’s fee.
Practice Areas
- Personal Injury
- Car Accidents
- Slip and Falls
- Workers’ Compensation
- Estate Planning
- Corporate, Contracts & Business Development
