Were you recently injured while on the job? Have you suffered a work-related illness?
Don’t trust your case to just any personal injury lawyer. Your claim will benefit from the attention of professionals who truly understand the ins and outs of Ontario’s workers compensation process. At Goodman Elbassiouni LLP, we are focused on helping injured workers. Some members of our team have worked with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) for more than 20 years. We are pleased to have licensed paralegals on staff who formerly were employed by the WSIB. This background provides us with a behind-the-scenes understanding of how the WSIB makes its decisions. It also helps us to identify all potential sources for compensation in a work injury claim. Instead of looking at the surface value, we work to maximize your claim and potential benefits.
Our team has considerable experience in cases involving:
- Loss of Earnings (LOE) benefits ;
- Future Economic Loss Awards (FEL) ;
- Non-Economic Loss (NEL) ;
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits ;
- return to work/work transition and disputes ;
- survivor benefits – in the event of a job-related death ;
- WSIB reconsiderations/CSPAAT ;
- WSIAT appeals ;
- back and neck injuries ;
- occupational disease ;
- repetitive strain and stress injuries ;
- chronic pain; and other disputes arising from WSIB decisions or actions .
We respect how overwhelming and frustrating it can be to pursue fair workers’ compensation benefits. To better prepare you for the WSIB process, we have offered answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about work injury claims and benefits.
How much time do I have to file my work injury claim?
You should file for workers’ compensation benefits within six months of the date of injury. The sooner you file your claim, the sooner you can have access to owed benefits. In the event of a denial of benefits, you may have as little as 30 days to appeal a decision, though you may have as long as six months.
What are the primary benefits to which I may be entitled?
Benefits provided under the WSIB guidelines include :
- Loss of Earnings You may be entitled to 85 percent of your take-home pay if you cannot work due to your on-the-job injury.
- Benefit for Non-Economic Loss You may be entitled to money to compensate for the physical and emotional ramifications of your injury.
- Benefit for Future Economic Loss Available to workers injured between January 1, 1990 and January 1, 1998.
- Health care You are entitled to necessary hospital and healthcare services rendered in connection with your workplace injuries. This may include specialized services, such as those offered by a chiropractor, physical therapist and others.
- Return to work help You may be entitled to resources to facilitate a return to your previous job or in a new position or industry.
- Survivor benefits You may be entitled to benefits if you lost a loved one in a workplace accident. This includes funeral and burial costs, survivor payments, counseling services and other means of support.
- Retirement benefits You may be entitled to retirement benefits when you reach 65 years of age.
- Special services You may be eligible for additional benefits in the event of a very serious injury or occupational disease.
Our team handles your case with thoroughness to ensure we do not overlook any potential benefits.