Workers Compensation

Borseth Law Office can assist you in pursing a claim against your employer if that injury was sustained during the course of your employment.  The State of Iowa has specific laws protecting the rights of employees and other workers.  All employers in the State of Iowa are required to provide workers compensation coverage in the event of an injury on the job to one of their employees.  There are several requirements an employee must follow in order to secure their rights to pursue workers compensation.  You must report the injury within a certain period of time; you must seek medical treatment and follow the medical treatment.   Workers compensation benefits are limited to a percentage of your take home income times the number of weeks assigned to your particular type of injury.  It will be very important to you to seek medical care and legal assistance simultaneously.  If you do not you could be making mistakes that could drastically affect your right to pursue a claim in workers compensation court.   The benefits of workers compensation are more limited than in a personal injury action.  However, in a workers compensation case you do not have to prove your employer is at fault for causing injury.  The injury may be your fault but you are still eligible for workers compensation benefits in most cases.  The potential for recovery is limited, however coverage is provided for most employees.

Attorneys in workers compensation are usually willing to represent you on a contingent fee basis.  In other words they will only receive payment if you receive an award from the employer.  You will generally have to pay court costs but the attorney will usually front those costs and withhold those fees from the settlement or commissioners award.   If you are unable to afford an attorney you should still be able to obtain representation by agreeing to a contingent fee with your counsel. Specific attorney fee arrangements can only be made following consultation with an attorney.