Detroit is one of America’s largest and busiest industrial cities. The chance of a workplace accident is quite high in some sectors. Workplace injuries can be very stressful as well as painful, as there is always the worry that the financial repercussions can be significant. Fortunately, Michigan has robust workers’ compensation rules and it is very likely your employer will have insurance cover. A successful WC claim can help pay for medical treatment and replace lost earnings. Choosing a Workers’ Comp. Attorney in Detroit It is usually a good idea to talk to a licensed Detroit workers’ compensation attorney before submitting a claim. If your claim is denied for any reason, the whole workers’ comp. appeal procedure becomes quite complicated and it is then certainly important to have legal representation. Detroit being a major city, there are literally hundreds of attorneys based there, but it is best to select an attorney who specialized in workers’ compensation cases. There are well over 200 Detroit attorneys who offer workers’ comp. legal assistance in Detroit, so there are plenty to choose from. Common Injuries at Work in Detroit Detroit is a major industrial area and many people are employed in the manufacturing sector, although the numbers have dropped over the years, with a majority working in the service sector these days. The numbers of people working in offices and relatively safe conditions does not reflect the very real risk of workplace injury Detroit. Like many other large cities, the most common injuries are in the transportation, public transit and construction sector. Statistics are regularly compiled by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which has a breakdown of workplace injuries and fatalities by industry. Construction workers in Detroit are regularly in the news because of serious injuries on construction sites. Crane accidents, scaffolding accidents, slip and fall accidents and accidents involving forklifts and other moving machinery are quite commonplace. The Workers’ Compensation Procedure in Michigan Nearly every worker in Detroit should have workers’ compensation cover from their employer’s insurance cover. If you are injured at work, you should make sure you notify your supervisor, manager or employer within 90 days of the injury and file a claim with your employer’s insurer within 2 years of the injury. In practice, you should aim to file a claim for workers’ comp. as soon as you can after the injury and don’t wait too long. In a very few cases, you may not be able to file a workers’ comp. claim or seek help from a workers’ comp. attorney if your claim is denied or you wish to appeal the decision. In the event that a WC claim is not possible, you may then decide to file a personal injury claim. The statute of limitation for personal injury claims in Michigan is 3 years from the date of the injury. The petition against your employer is filed with the Wayne County (civil) Court, located at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit. It opens between 8.00 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. every weekday except public holidays. Use a Free Claim Evaluation to Find a Suitable Detroit Based Attorney Detroit has large numbers of very good attorneys, but when there are over 200 workers’ compensation attorneys to choose from, it’s good to know that there is a way of selecting an attorney who suits your needs. Just fill out the free claim evaluation form provided below. Additional Resources Workers' Compensation Attorneys in Michigan Employees in the Automotive Industry Injured on the Job *Source: bls.gov/iif/oshstate.htm#MI
