Injured At Work? Will Transportation Be Covered By Your Workers’ Compensation Claim?
If you have been involved in an accident at work or fallen ill as a direct result of your working environment, it’s not just time off of work to recuperate that you will need to consider. Once you are feeling well enough you will be able to rejoin your work colleagues and get your career back on track, changes may need to be made to accommodate your health following your illness or injury.
Your employer may need to offer you reduced hours or change your day to day duties in the first instance, and very often this is easily agreed. But, when it comes to how you get to and from your regular place of work, a change in your transportation needs can be a challenging problem to solve.
Here at the Law Offices of Ala Alikhani, P.A., we regularly get asked questions from worried employees about what, if any, provisions they are entitled to that will enable them to safely reach their place of work if they are unable to drive unaided or take public transport. Because we specialize in helping our clients obtain the maximum benefits they are entitled to after a work based injury or illness, we are able to advise them on this aspect too.
Unfortunately, it is only in very specific cases that the insurance company will be willing and able to provide the injured party with transportation that exactly suits their needs. This may be a different type of automobile, custom van or even modifications to your existing form of transportation.
Before any offer of assistance with transportation is made, certain factors will be looked at in depth, including:
- Is a different form of transportation medically necessary?
The injured party will need to prove that significant changes must be made to any existing form of transportation and that changes must be made as their current transport is no longer practicable. Purely seeking a new vehicle because it will be more comfortable or convenient, it not usually enough to warrant assistance. The existing vehicle would need to be deemed unusable for the insurance carrier to consider making a change.
- Could your employee provide transportation for you?
If your employer is able to arrange transportation that suits your needs, for the purposes of carrying out your day to day duties and necessary medical treatment, this will usually be considered good enough by the insurance company. Transportation for reasons outside of the above is considered to be quality of life issues and often not regarded as the remit of the employer or their insurance carrier.
- Could the insurance carrier arrange for modifications to the existing mode of transportation?
If the insurance carrier can have modifications made to your car or van that meet your medical requirements, then this will be considered satisfactory. The same applies to the needs of any caregiver who will be transporting you to and from work and medical appointments.
If you have suffered an accident or injury at work and would like further assistance on how to obtain the maximum benefits from your workers’ compensation claim, speak to us today on (844) 762-8155, to see how we can help.
When you hire the Law Offices of Ala Alikhani, P.A. to represent you, we go to extremes to ensure employers and their insurance companies are held accountable and that you receive the benefits you are entitled to by the law.
Were you injured at work? Contact us for a FREE consultation. We are available throughout all times of the day to discuss your case with you. Our office is fluent in Creole and Spanish.
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-No out of pocket fees or costs unless you recover.
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370 Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 325
Boca Raton, FL 33432
TOLL FREE: (844) 762-8155