New York Corrections Officer Workers' Compensation Lawyer
Workers’ compensation programs provide financial stability to workers who experience a job-related injury or illness. They pay for lost wages, medical expenses, and benefits to dependents if the injured worker dies, and employers are required by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance or be self-insured to provide these benefits. If you’ve been injured on the job in New York City, follow the instructions below to ensure your safety and begin the workers’ compensation claim process.
Expertise
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Content written by Samuel Meirowitz
Samuel Meirowitz is “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” and an accomplished personal injury lawyer, trial attorney and relentless advocate for his clients. Previously, he served the State of New York for four years as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. Mr. Meirowitz is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida State Courts.
Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Quick Links
- What Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Available for Corrections Officers?
- How To File a Workers’ Compensation Claim as a Corrections Officer
- What Happens If My Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied?
- Why You Need a Correctional Officer Injury Lawyer
- What Risks Do Corrections Officers Face?
- Speak With a Corrections Officer Work Injury Lawyer Today
What Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Available for Corrections Officers?
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides medical benefits and the replacement of some lost wages to workers who become sick or injured during their employment. To be eligible for workers’ compensation in New York, you must be employed by any for-profit business or organization or most non-profits and work in the state of New York.
Medical Benefits
Workers’ compensation provides coverage for medical expenses, including doctor visits, surgeries, rehabilitation, and prescriptions, related to your workplace injury or illness. However, most of these treatments—except emergency care—are only covered if you visit a physician approved by the New York Workers’ Compensation Board.
Wage Replacement
In addition to medical benefits, workers’ compensation provides cash benefits typically equal to two-thirds of your average weekly wage. Other wage benefits, including temporary total disability and permanent partial disability, may be available depending on the nature of your injury and your employer.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Corrections officers who are unable to return to their original duties may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation benefits under their employer’s workers’ compensation program.
How To File a Workers’ Compensation Claim as a Corrections Officer
If you or a loved one has been injured on the job as a New York corrections officer, follow the steps below to ensure your safety and prepare for a workers’ compensation claim filing:
- Get medical attention immediately – You can receive medical attention by dialing 911 in an emergency, visiting the nearest hospital, or scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician. It’s important to do this as soon as possible after discovering the injury or illness.
- Notify your employer within 30 days of the incident – Notifying your employer quickly is required for a workers’ compensation claim. In most cases, you have 30 days to provide written notice of your injury or illness to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
- File a claim within two years – Under New York law, you have two years from the date of your workplace injury to file a claim.
- Appeal your decision within 30 days – Depending on the outcome of your workers’ compensation claim filing, you can appeal any decisions or disputes within 30 days.
What Happens If My Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied?
In some cases, corrections officers’ workers’ compensation claims may be denied due to a lack of evidence, a delay in filing, or for injuries that are not work-related. However, some claims are wrongfully denied because the employer does not want to increase their insurance premiums. For this reason, it’s a good idea to contact an experienced work injury attorney to assist you in pursuing your claim and filing an appeal in the case of denial. There are steps you can take to fight a denial and receive the compensation you deserve.
Why You Need a Correctional Officer Injury Lawyer
Even in the early stages of filing a workers’ compensation claim, a knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney can assist you with gathering additional and necessary medical statements, witness statements, and any other evidence relevant to your case. With proper evidence, a workers’ compensation lawyer can prove your workplace injury and help you recover the full compensation you deserve.
Navigating complex workers’ compensation laws without expert guidance may feel overwhelming, but working with an experienced New York work injury attorney, you can maximize your claim’s chance of success.
Meirowitz & Wasserberg’s Track Record of Workers’ Compensation Settlements
Meirowitz & Wasserberg is a plaintiff-focused law firm built on the principles of personalized client care and an aggressive litigation strategy, striving to secure maximum compensation for clients. With over 30 years of combined experience, we’ve recovered $500 million in verdicts and settlements for injured people, including the following workers’ compensation settlements.
- $373,644 in benefits, payable over 400 weeks, for a 9/11 volunteer diagnosed with severe reactive lung disease due to toxic exposure.
- $165,000 full and final settlement for a painter who suffered a head injury after striking the ceiling on the job.
- $125,000 indemnity-only settlement for a telecommunications lineman who was injured in a fall while working in the field.
What Risks Do Corrections Officers Face?
Nationwide, nearly half a million corrections officers are responsible for supervising more than two million inmates. These officers face a number of unique risks on the job, both physical and psychological. Some of the main workplace hazards at correctional facilities include violent assaults, strains, slips and falls, motor vehicle injuries, exposure to drugs, exposure to disease, and long or irregular hours.
Corrections officers have one of the highest rates of nonfatal work-related injuries of all U.S. workers. In 2011, the rate of work-related injuries and illnesses for correctional officers was four times greater than the average rate for all workers. Additionally, corrections officers experienced 36 times more injuries due to assaults and violent acts than the average U.S. worker.
Physical Injuries in Corrections Work
In correctional environments, the most common injuries for officers include sprains, strains, contusions, abrasions, falls, burns, fractures, and injuries resulting from physical altercations. Between 1999 and 2008, an average of 11 correctional officers were killed on the job each year, with assaults, violent acts, and transportation-related fatalities making up 80 percent of those deaths. Among the fatal assaults and violent acts, 62 percent were homicides and 38 percent were suicides.
Over the same time period, corrections officers across the country experienced 125,000 nonfatal work-related injuries that were treated in emergency departments—the majority of which were caused by assaults, violent acts, and overexertion.
Mental Health Risks
Unfortunately, it’s common for correctional officers to experience constant stress due to a fear of inmate attacks, mandatory overtime, rotating shifts, sleep disturbances, supervisory demands, and more. Job stress issues like these have been repeatedly linked to psychological disorders that elevate suicide risk, and in 2011, a survey revealed that about half of corrections officers experienced some signs of PTSD, while one-third were clinically depressed.
Speak With a Corrections Officer Work Injury Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one has been injured while working as a corrections officer in New York, you have legal rights and options for seeking compensation. At Meirowitz & Wasserberg, our nationally recognized trial attorneys have the resources and skill to stand up to large corporations that prioritize profit over worker safety. We have successfully handled countless work injury cases and recovered millions on behalf of our clients, providing personal attention and dedication at each step of the legal process.
At Meirowitz & Wasserberg, we aim to level the playing field between the average worker and some of the most influential corporations in America, including those in the prison industry. To learn more about your right to workers’ compensation as a corrections officer, contact us today by calling 800-726-6326, extension 123, or filling out our online contact form.
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Workers Compensation Settlements
$373,644
Toxic Exposure
$233,000
Slip & Fall
$205,000
Construction Slip & Fall
$212,000
9/11 Toxic Exposure
The lawyers at Meirowitz and Wasserberg are very professional and stay true to their word. I got immediate help that was needed when I got into a severe construction accident that injured both my rotator cuffs. This firm knows and wants the best for you.
Daniel Choi