We Help Injured Workers Get The Benefits Ohio Law Promises

Almost all people employed in the state of Ohio qualify for monetary benefits if they are injured or become ill while on the job. This is the promise of Ohio workers’ compensation law as administered by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) and the state Industrial Commission. It is a no-fault insurance program. You are supposed to be paid regardless of whether you shoulder any blame for the injury or illness you have suffered.

But Ohio is different from other states in one key factor: Ohio employers contract with the state for workers’ compensation insurance. This increases the bureaucracy you face if you have a claim. In Ohio, if you are to receive the benefits you deserve, you usually need to fight a system that is arrayed against you.

Cut Through The Red Tape And Focus On Recovery Instead

In northeastern Ohio, Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA, helps injured workers get the workers’ compensation they deserve. We know the Ohio workers’ compensation system. We can make it work for you. Take advantage of our attorneys’ combined 200 years of legal experience in northeastern Ohio’s Mahoning Valley, and get the benefits you need and deserve. Schedule an appointment at 330-974-1231.

Our Past Clients Are Raving

“I had another attorney that, in my opinion, did nothing for me.  Atty. Moro not only got me what I thought I was entitled to, but much more.  I am extremely pleased with what he has done for me.” – JH

“I would like to thank Leslie for being kind and respectful to me and my wife in our time of need. My family really appreciates how you helped us in every way possible. Thank you, Pete Magill, for all your help and guidance through this process.” – DR

Read more of our client testimonials.

Do You Qualify For Ohio Workers’ Compensation? The Likely Answer Is Yes!

There are very few exceptions in the coverage of Ohio workers by the workers’ compensation system. If you have been injured in an accident while on the job in Ohio, or you have come down with a debilitating illness because of your workplace environment or exposure, you undoubtedly qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. However, the system places several obstacles between you and a benefit payment. The first is a strict deadline for filing a workers’ compensation claim.

If you have suffered a job-related injury or illness that has caused you to miss work, and you have not filed a claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), we urge you to contact us right away. Compiling documentation that ensures you receive all of the money you deserve can be a lengthy process. A delay could mean forever giving up benefits you should receive.

Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA, can compile, file and defend your workers’ compensation claim in northeastern Ohio, but it is highly beneficial to you to start work as soon as possible.

How The BWC Can Stop Your Workers’ Comp Claim

Though workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance program, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is the gatekeeper that decides whether your claim for benefits will be a straight-forward matter or bureaucratic nightmare.

Filing a workers’ compensation claim in Ohio begins with a form called “First Report of an Injury, Occupational Disease, or Death.” It asks for a detailed description of the cause of your injury (an accident, usually) or illness, a medical diagnosis, and additional information about your job, doctor and medical treatment.

Once you file for workers’ compensation, the BWC will issue a claim card with your claim number, and decide whether to “allow” your claim.

For the BWC to allow a claim, the claim application must meet the filing deadline, as we stressed above, and it must clearly show:

• Your doctor’s diagnosis that you have suffered an injury or illness recognized by the state of Ohio
• The injury happened within the course and scope of your employment
• Your doctor’s explanation of how his or her diagnosis results from what happened at your job – an accident (injury) or occupational exposure (illness)

In addition, your doctor – the doctor who provides the diagnosis – must be registered as an Ohio BWC-certified provider.

If you meet these requirements, you are granted the “right to participate,” which means you may now request benefits that are approved by law for the diagnosis identified by your claim.

At any point, your employer or the BWC may challenge your claim, and force you to defend it. The BWC may deny your workers’ compensation claim. A challenge or denial requires a hearing before a Hearing Officer if you are to continue seeking benefits. The Ohio Industrial Commission administers hearings and appeals of claims decisions. At a hearing, you will be asked to defend your claim against either the BWC or your employer (and your employer’s attorney), or both.

As you can see, the Ohio workers’ compensation system can easily work against you. If your claim is challenged, it may be because of a technical error or discrepancy in your claim. It may be a larger issue that results in challenge or denial. Regardless, it will be up to you to persuade the hearing officer that you deserve benefits as the BWC and/or your employer argue that you do not.

By putting Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA, to work on your claim, the advantage moves back to you. You are no longer alone. We work with workers’ compensation claims like yours every day and have done so for many years. We know the system. We know what the BWC wants to see and hear in a claim application. We can make sure your claim surmounts the obstacles the system erects between you and the workers’ compensation benefits you qualify to receive.

Need Compensation For A Workplace Injury? We Want You To Have It — All Of It.

Ohio’s workers’ compensation law defines the benefits an injured worker is to receive. This is essentially money on the table that is yours to take home or give up, depending on the quality and accuracy of your claim.

Workers’ compensation benefits are provided to pay medical bills related to your injuries and as compensation for lost income. In addition to full payment of medical bills, benefits typically amount to two-thirds of your wages prior to your injury.

Five of the most common workers’ compensation benefits paid by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) are:

1. Temporary total disability (TTD) compensation for injured workers who are temporarily 100 percent disabled as a result of their injury or occupational disease. This is the typical workers’ compensation benefit paid to injured or ill workers who recover and go back to work. It is compensation for medical bills and lost income while the worker is unable to perform their job duties.
2. Permanent total disability (PTD) compensation for injured workers who have been declared permanently and totally disabled by the Industrial Commission of Ohio. A declaration of PTD means the injured worker is not capable of returning to their former job or of engaging in any other substantial work and making a living.
3. Permanent partial disability (PPD) compensation awarded to workers who suffer a residual (ongoing) impairment because of an injury or occupational disease.
4. Wage-loss compensation for injured workers who return to work with restrictions caused by their injury. When injury-related job restrictions cause a reduction in earnings or leave the worker unable to find work their physical limitations allow them to do, these payments make up for the income loss.
5. A lump-sum settlement award to injured workers who have agreed with their employer to settle the workers’ compensation claim.

There are also additional benefits within the workers’ compensation system that are available when an employer violates certain safety rules and these violations contributed to the worker’s injury or illness.

In limited cases, an injured worker can sue his/her employer outside of the workers’ compensation system. Such personal injury cases usually involve an employer that intentionally injured the employee or knowingly allowed the employee to work in an environment that the employer knew was hazardous to the employee.

At Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA, we see it as our duty to ensure that you obtain all of the compensation you deserve. This requires complete documentation of your medical costs and a full and accurate description of your injury/illness and medical diagnosis. It requires a claim that can stand up to challenges by the BWC and/or your employer. We can provide this service to you.

Because workers’ compensation is an insurance program, making payments affects employers’ costs by increasing premiums. The prospect of higher costs causes too many employers to dispute legitimate workers’ compensation claims. If you don’t have qualified and experienced legal help, this can easily happen to you.

Let Our Experienced Ohio Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Handle Your Claims

At Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA, we stand up for what’s right when injured and disabled workers seek the workers’ compensation benefits they have been promised by Ohio state law. Our lawyers are proud to be a part of the northeastern Ohio community where we live and work, and we want to see workers treated fairly, especially when they have been injured or become ill. We know the system. We will fight for you.

We Understand What You Are Going Through And We Can Help

Since the founding of Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA, in 1985, we have been a workers compensation law firm dedicated solely to protecting the rights of injured workers, injury victims and the disabled in the Mahoning Valley. Over 30 years, we have developed a solid reputation for continued loyalty to our clients.

Don’t go it alone. We can make the system work for you. Call us today.

Now That You Understand The Basics, Call Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA

Our attorneys are ready and able to help you navigate your claim. Work with us beginning at your first appointment: 330-974-1231.