Alarm bells and red flags
We think all Alabama work injury cases should be reviewed carefully. But some facts are different. They set off alarm bells because they may mean the case is moving from a simple medical claim into a serious return-to-work, disability, settlement, or retaliatory discharge problem.
This site pays special attention to serious neck, shoulder, back, head, and brain injuries, and to work-related truck and car crashes.
A red flag does not prove the case. It does not mean the worker is disabled. It means the fact should not be ignored. The more red flags that appear together, the more important it is to slow down before settlement, resignation, closing future medical, or assuming the worker can return to regular employment.
Workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability are separate programs with different standards. When both are being considered, restrictions, work history, and realistic return-to-work options may deserve closer review.
In a serious Alabama work injury case, the most important question may become whether the worker can realistically return to work. That question can involve medical restrictions, vocational limits, education, age, past work, Social Security Disability, and whether the employer's conduct after the claim created a separate retaliatory discharge issue.
Some red flags deserve a stronger label. A truck or car accident that happens while the worker is on the job can be a five alarm fire because the case may involve workers' compensation, a separate third-party injury claim, vehicle insurance, medical treatment, wage loss, future work ability, and Social Security Disability concerns.
This does not mean every work-related crash is a valuable case. It means the worker should not assume the auto claim, the comp claim, and the disability issues can be handled in isolation.
Applying the information
Workers' compensation questions can depend on records, dates, medical evidence, and facts outside the scope of a general resource. A qualified Alabama workers' compensation lawyer can review how the rules apply to a specific situation.
Publication notice. The Alabama Work Injury Report is an information publication of Powell & Denny, P.C. It provides general Alabama workers' compensation and disability-information only, is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not predict any result. This page is a paid advertisement. Powell & Denny, P.C., 1320 Alford Avenue, Suite 201, Birmingham, Alabama 35226, is responsible for its content. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Reading this site or using an evaluator does not require you to contact Powell & Denny. Alabama workers' compensation can be difficult to understand, and no online checklist can cover every possible fact pattern. Even if an evaluator shows a lower-warning or green-style result, that does not mean you do not need a lawyer. If you are worried about your claim, we encourage you to call a qualified Alabama workers' compensation lawyer even if it is not us. If you contact Powell & Denny and we are not the right fit, you may ask us about referring you to another firm.