How to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Bridgeport

If you are an injured Bridgeport worker, you do not need to go it alone when you are litigating your workers’ compensation matter. Our attorneys handle workers’ compensation cases in Bridgeport, and we are here to help you.

Place of Injury

Did you know that where you were injured decides where you file your workers’ compensation case? Bridgeport has many industries and workplaces. Lots of employees come to Bridgeport daily for work. Any employee injured on the job in Bridgeport should report their injury, file for workers’ compensation benefits immediately, and contact our law firm for legal representation.

For instance, if you live in Fairfield and work in a factory in New Haven, but you sustained your injury while unloading a delivery in a factory in Bridgeport, you would file your workers’ compensation case in Bridgeport. Where you live or normally work doesn’t matter when it comes to your workers’ compensation case. The location of your injury determines where you need to file your case. In this instance, if you were hurt while delivering a product in Bridgeport, you would file your case in the Bridgeport District Office.

Our No Fault System

Workers’ compensation in Connecticut is a “no-fault” system. Whether or not you caused your own injury on the job is irrelevant. So long as you were working within the scope of your employment, meaning you were “on the job,” workers’ compensation insurance covers your injuries. You can receive valuable benefits to compensate you for your injuries.

For example, if you work in a factory and you injure your ankle because you slipped on a wet floor, workers’ compensation would fully cover you. This would be true even if you knew that the floor was wet, and despite that knowledge, if you still attempted to walk over the slippery area. You would be covered under workers’ compensation insurance even if you were the one that was supposed to clean up the spill. It simply does not matter who caused your accident. That is a benefit to workers like you under our “no-fault” system.

Workers’ compensation is the “exclusive” remedy for wage replacement benefits and medical treatment for workers injured on the job. Workers’ compensation provides a suitable way to get the injured worker treatment and benefits and to safely return the injured worker to their job. As a result, other than some very rare exceptions, if you are injured on your job, you wouldn’t sue your employer in the same way you would sue another driver for a motor vehicle collision. Rather, instead of a long, drawn-out lawsuit, you must file an official workers’ compensation claim to receive your benefits. However, the system provides a trade-off in exchange for following the process. You can obtain immediate medical care and treatment and gain valuable wage replacement benefits while you are injured and cannot work, without having to appear in court or file a lawsuit. This is another benefit of the “no-fault” system.

Potential Benefits

So, what benefits can an injured Bridgeport worker receive? It depends on your injury, but generally, workers’ compensation seeks to provide you with fair compensation for your workplace injury. You will receive all necessary medical care and treatment that your injury requires to return you to work. Your medical bills will be paid for you. You will be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, including travel related to your medical care appointments. You will recieve wage replacement benefits if you cannot return to work because of your injuries or occupational disease or illness. You will also be compensated for any permanent injuries or scars on your body.

Chief among the many wage replacement benefits that might be available to an injured Bridgeport worker are:

1. Full Pay for Day of Injury – You are entitled to receive your full payment from your employer for the date of your injury. If you cannot return to work on the same day of your injury, your employer must pay you for a full day of work.
2. Temporary Total Disability Benefits – You might be unable to get back to work because of the nature and extent of your injury. If you can’t go back to work because your injury is too severe, you are entitled to Temporary Total Disability Benefits for all workdays missed. This is because (at least temporarily) you cannot go back to work because of the severity of your injuries. These benefits, paid weekly, are paid while you cannot return to work in any capacity. They equal 75% of your after-tax average weekly wages (typical weekly wages minus federal taxes, state taxes, and FICA deductions).
3. Temporary Partial Disability Benefits – Your injury might allow you to return to work, but you might not be able to perform all your prior job duties. Suppose your doctor believes that you can perform “light duty work,” but your employer does not have any light duty work available. In that case, you are entitled to Temporary Partial Disability Benefits or “TP” benefits. These benefits are calculated and paid at the same rate as your TT benefits (75% of your after-tax average weekly wages).

Let Us Help

We ensure that our Bridgeport clients receive all the wage replacement benefits they are entitled to. You should not rely on your employer to treat you fairly. Most employers do not care whether you receive the monetary benefits that you are entitled to receive. They just want you to get back to work – whether you are fully compensated or not simply does not matter to your employer. If you are injured on the job in Bridgeport, you should contact our workers’ compensation team immediately.