When Iowa workers suffer illnesses or serious accidents on the job, they are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Navigating this system can make life feel overwhelming, but a Davenport workers’ compensation lawyer can help. Our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys have decades of experience helping injured workers secure the benefits they deserve.
In this Article
Why Do I Need a Workers’ Comp Attorney?
A workers’ compensation lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company to maximize your compensation that covers medical bills, ensures payments for injuries, and prevents sudden check stoppages. They protect employees’ rights and handle issues like disputes, the appeals process, or employer retaliation.
What Is a Third-Party Lawsuit in a Workers’ Compensation Case?
If someone other than an employer or coworker caused an injury through negligence, the injured party can sue that third party. This allows them to seek additional damages—like pain and suffering—beyond workers’ compensation. Examples include construction accidents, faulty machinery, car accidents, or unsafe conditions on someone else’s property.
What Is Workers’ Compensation in Iowa?
Most Iowa employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance under the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act (Iowa Code § 85). This law defines Iowa’s workers compensation program that provides medical treatment, wage replacement, and rehabilitation benefits for employees injured or made ill due to their work, regardless of fault. If your job caused your injury or illness, you may qualify for these benefits.
What Are Iowa Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
The Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD) in Iowa’s Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing (DIAL) governs the state’s workers’ compensation system. The Workers’ Compensation Program is administered by the Third Party Administrator (TPA), Sedgwick. The benefits include:
Medical benefits: covers reasonable treatment for work injuries. Workers can choose care in emergencies if employers aren’t available.
Temporary Total Disability (TTD): wage replacement and medical care for workers temporarily unable to work.
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): benefits for workers returning to work with reduced earnings after an injury.
Healing Period (HP): immediate benefits for workers with permanent impairments, with no waiting period required.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): benefits for workers with permanent impairments.
Permanent Total Disability (PTD): lifetime financial support for workers with permanent disabilities.
Second Injury Fund (SIF): covers the gap in disability for workers with injuries to multiple limbs or eyes.
Vocational rehabilitation: support for workers unable to return to their previous job.
Death benefits: financial and funeral expenses support the surviving spouse or family of workers who died from work-related injuries or illnesses.
Why Can Iowa Workers’ Compensation Cases Be Denied?
In Iowa, workers’ comp claims can be denied for missing legal deadlines, lack of medical evidence, disputes over whether the injury is work-related, or preexisting conditions. Claims can also be denied if the injury resulted from intentional misconduct or if the employee was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Common Types of Work-Related Accidents in Davenport
Some common workplace injuries and accidents workers have suffered include:
Slip and fall accidents
Burns or chemical exposures
Repetitive motion injuries
Machinery injuries
Overexertion injuries
Most Common Workplace Injuries
Some of the more common injuries include:
Broken bones
Sprains and strains
Burns
Repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
What Should I Do After a Workplace Accident in Davenport, Iowa?
Under Iowa law, if you’re injured or become ill due to your job, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Report the injury to your supervisor immediately and visit an approved occupational clinic for treatment, saving your medical records. The First Report of Injury (FROI) will be sent to Sedgwick to be processed.
Contact a Davenport Workers’ Comp Attorney Today
The experienced personal injury attorneys in our law firm can help injured employees file claims to secure the compensation they deserve. Schedule a free consultation today to review your case and start the recovery process.
Get help from a Davenport, IA workers’ compensation lawyer if you’ve been injured on the job and need to file a workers’ compensation claim.
$7.5 Million
Recovery for a construction worker injured when a support wall fell and struck him. (Highest award on record for a construction injury in DuPage County at the time).
$3.2 Million
Recovery for a construction worker injured when he fell in an uncovered foundation trench, ranking as the highest award on record for a construction injury in McHenry County at the time.
$3 Million
Recovery for the family of a man struck by a garbage truck that was making an illegal turn.
$2.2 Million
Recovery for a salesman injured in an automobile collision.
$2 Million
Recovery for a man struck by a speeding vehicle as he waited for the CTA bus.
$1.5 Million
Recovery for a truck driver that was struck by another car on the expressway while his vehicle was disabled.
$1.4 Million
Recovery for a computer programmer that slipped and fell in the washroom at work.
Recovery for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in a parking lot. At the time, this was the second-highest recovery on record in DuPage County for a similar injury.
$800,000
Recovered for a disputed wrongful death claim against a trucking company. The company denied they were involved in the collision.
$660,000
Recovery for a truck driver that was injured while unloading his trailer.
$550,000
Recovery for a person who slipped and fell in a grocery store.
$550,000
Recovery for a woman who injured her neck in a motor vehicle collision.
$500,000
Recovery for a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle while standing on the sidewalk.
$460,000
Recovery for a truck driver that tripped and fell in the parking lot while making a delivery.
$450,000
Recovery for a dental assistant who slipped and fell at work on an unnatural accumulation of ice.
$425,000
Recovery for a union worker struck by a speeding vehicle.
$425,000
Recovery for a passenger in a vehicle struck by an inexperienced driver.
$415,000
Recovered for a woman that required neck surgery after aggravating an existing neck injury in a truck accident.
$400,000
Recovery for a lab technician injured while transporting equipment.
$370,000
Recovery for a construction worker injured on faulty equipment at a construction site.
$315,000
Recovery for a motorist struck by a falling utility pole.
$310,000
Recovery for a person injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$300,000
Recovery for a bicyclist struck by a vehicle.
$250,000
Recovery for a young woman struck by another vehicle.
$250,000
Recovered for a woman who sustained a partial finger amputation and other injuries in a rollover car accident. (Policy Limits)
$250,000
Recovered for a man injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$250,000
Recovered for a 60-year-old woman involved in a car accident. (Policy Limits)
$250,000
Recovered for a man hit by a semi-truck while operating a go-cart.
$240,000
Recovery for the injured party struck by another vehicle.
$235,000
Recovery for a person injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$235,000
Recovery for an inventory clerk injured when shelving toppled onto her.
$219,000
Recovery for a restaurant patron that slipped and fell in the bathroom.
$200,000
Recovered for an airline employee struck on the runway at O’Hare International Airport.
$190,000
Recovery for a person injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$175,000
Recovered for a child injured by fireworks at a fourth of July celebration.
$170,000
Recovered for a person injured when she slipped and fell exiting a major retail store.
$150,000
Recovered for a woman who fractured her leg when she was struck by a vehicle.
Latisha S.
Great service. They helped me get my money, and everyone was very pleasant even though the health insurance took a while. Everything was on point on Kryder’s side.
(312) 223-1700