You may, unfortunately, get hurt after being made the victim of a personal injury accident. After the reality of your injury sets in, you may worry about what will become of your livelihood. While your profession might not require demanding physical labor, your injury may still inhibit you in other ways. For example, you may be unable to sit for long periods, concentrate on your tasks at hand, etc. If this is your fear, please continue reading to learn what to do if you get injured and can’t return to work, and how an experienced Parsippany, New Jersey personal injury lawyer at Macri Law Firm can help you earn the financial assistance you desperately require.
What if I get injured and can’t return to work?
While you may feel defeated after getting injured, you must be proactive in bettering your situation. This starts with receiving the proper medical attention and acquiring an official doctor’s note that details your injury, its extent, and its impact on your job performance. You may then use this note and other solid medical evidence to apply for New Jersey’s Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) benefits. Of note, if you are eligible, these benefits may replace your lost wages for up to 26 weeks.
Secondly, you may use your Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Your New Jersey employer may carry this if they are a public company (i.e., government agency or school) or a private company with 50 or more employees. Namely, this federal law does not allow you to get paid leave. Even so, you are granted job-protected leave for up to 12 weeks to take care of your health condition. And so, you may take the time you need to fully recuperate without fearing your employer will replace you.
What should I do once this government assistance runs out?
Unfortunately, you may have taken all your FMLA leave and continue to struggle with your injury. While you may have more time to collect TDI benefits, you may rapidly approach the 26-week mark without gaining the physical improvements you need to return to work. Soon, you may face the daunting truth that you may have to take off from work for much longer, like a year or more. Even worse, your fear that you will be unable to rejoin the workforce ever again may become more and more realistic.
You must strongly consider pursuing a personal injury claim against the negligent party who caused your accident and injuries in the first place, if these are the only options you are looking at for your future. Here, you may seek to recover financial compensation for your current lost wages and estimated future lost wages. Or, you may cite your lost earning capacity if you believe you will have to work in a profession with lesser pay or be unable to work in any profession indefinitely.
Before you find yourself in an even worse position, you must retain legal representation from Macri Law Firm. A skilled Parsippany, New Jersey personal injury lawyer from our law firm will guide you on what to do.