Des Moines Workers’ Compensation Law

We like to think that the people of Iowa are some of the hardest workers in the entire country, and the people of Des Moines are a major part of that. The pride that comes with being a hard worker is one thing, but it comes with a serious risk of injuries.

At Wertz Law Firm, P.C., we are workers’ compensation attorneys who care and have the experience to represent our clients in all aspects of workers’ compensation claims. For years, we’ve been there for our clients in Des Moines, offering options and supporting strategies across the board. When you’ve fallen injured at work, we’ll be here to help you stand back up.

What To Do After A Workplace Injury?

Obviously, after every single injury – in every circumstance – your first priority is your health. You must seek immediate medical attention. Once you complete your physical evaluation, you will have to take some important steps, such as the following:

Inform your employer: This is a mandatory step for workers’ compensation in Iowa. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance can use your noncompliance as a reason to deny your claim. By law, you must do this within 90 days.
Follow the rules: In Iowa, by law, your employer has the right to choose the medical provider you see. Ignoring this suggestion can – again – jeopardize your claims.
Ensure that you – and your injury – are eligible: There are some types of employees and circumstances of injury that are not eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

Be sure of the rules pertaining to your employer and the specifics of the workers’ compensation claim process in Iowa. As workers’ compensation attorneys, we provide representation targeted to keep you from crossing lines and to make it easier to secure the medical treatment you deserve.

What Are The Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Des Moines workers’ compensation benefits include the following:

Initial evaluation
Surgery (if needed)
Rehabilitation
Medication
Transportation

Workers’ compensation should cover all the costs associated with recovering from your work injury. Getting back to work after an injury can be a lengthy process, but if it was a legitimate work injury, you should not be the one holding the bill for it.

Are You In One Of The Most Dangerous Jobs In Des Moines?

As a part of hard work, the nature of the dangers of your job plays into that irretrievably. There are – as a matter of statistical fact – some jobs with more inherent risk of catastrophic injury or multiple injuries than others. Per fatality reports for work injuries, the most dangerous industries in Iowa are:

Private transportation and warehousing
Private agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Oilseed and grain farming

This data is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics based on information from 2022. In addition, of the private transportation industry deaths, freight and shipping was the subsection of the industry with the most fatalities, with 12 out of 17 of the reported deaths in 2022.

Workers in any of these dangerous industries face greater instances of accidents than others.

We’re In Des Moines To Help You

At our office in Des Moines, we’re here to help you. We are Iowa workers’ compensation lawyers who work with clients across the area, drawing clients in from I-35, I-235 and I-80. We’ll represent you in all your filings and stand with you in the Polk County Historic Courthouse, as needed. Call us today at 319-861-3001 or send an email using this form.