Winston-Salem Foot and Ankle Injury Lawyer

Any sudden injury can be a serious problem, but injuries to the ankles or feet are especially debilitating. Being unable to walk or stand comfortably can interfere with the ability to work or even handle basic everyday household tasks. If you or a family member recently sustained a foot or ankle injury at work, in a car accident, or any other incident resulting from another party’s negligence or misconduct, you may have more options for legal recourse than you initially realize.

Representing Victims of Foot and Ankle Injuries in Winston-Salem, NC

Attorney M. Reid Acree, Jr., has years of experience providing legal counsel to clients in the Winston-Salem area. Our team can leverage this experience on your behalf after a foot and ankle injury. If your injury happened while you were working, you are probably covered by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance and have the right to file a claim for benefits. However, if you did not sustain your injury at work or if a party outside your workplace caused the injury, a personal injury claim is likely to be your best option for recovering your damages.

Whatever your case may entail, the right attorney can positively impact the outcome. When you need a Winston-Salem foot and ankle injury attorney to represent you after a debilitating injury, our firm can offer the ongoing support and guidance you will need to reach a favorable outcome for your case. Our team has experience with difficult workers’ compensation claims and personal injury suits for foot and ankle injuries. Whether your injury happened at work and/or due to another party’s negligence or misconduct, we can help you ensure accountability.

Why You Need a Winston-Salem Foot and Ankle Injury Lawyer

An injury to the foot or ankle can potentially mean weeks or months in recovery. Some victims will require extensive ongoing medical treatment for an extended time; others may face permanent complications such as nerve damage, chronic pain, and reduced mobility. Their medical treatment is likely costly, and if another party is responsible for causing the injury, they may wonder why they are left with the bill. Additionally, if an injury occurred at work, the workers’ compensation claim process could prove to be more challenging than initially expected.

Hiring an experienced Winston-Salem foot and ankle injury attorney ensures you can explore all your options for recovering from your foot and ankle injury, especially one that occurred at work and/or because of another party’s actions. M. Reid Acree, Jr., has extensive experience handling foot and ankle injury claims for clients in the Winston-Salem area. Our team is ready to apply this experience to your injury claim.

If your injury occurred at work, we could help you file a workers’ compensation claim and maximize the benefits you receive. When you’ve sustained a severe foot or ankle injury, and workers’ compensation cannot fully compensate your damages, we may be able to help you with a third-party personal injury claim that can enhance your recovery. While North Carolina’s workers’ compensation laws typically prevent injured employees from filing civil lawsuits against the businesses they work for over workplace injuries, there are exceptions to this as well. If you want to explore the entire scope of your legal options and have the best chance of a full recovery following a foot or ankle injury in Winston-Salem, it’s vital to connect with an attorney with experience as soon as possible after your injury.

Common Causes of Foot and Ankle Injuries in Winston-Salem

Foot and ankle injuries can happen in many different ways. When they occur in the workplace, determining fault is not as important as proving the victim was at work and/or performing work-related duties when their injury occurred. If you believe you have grounds for a personal injury claim in response to your foot or ankle injury, proving fault will be critical to your success with the case. A personal injury plaintiff must prove the defendant named in their claim directly caused their claimed damages. Fault could potentially come into play in workers’ compensation claims as well.

Some of the most commonly reported causes of foot and ankle injuries in workers’ compensation claims include slip and fall incidents, vehicle accidents, equipment-related injuries, and crushing injuries. If there are any disputes regarding liability for the incident, the victim could face complications in their workers’ compensation claim. For example, their claim could be denied if they caused their own injury due to working under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Foot and ankle injuries may also occur outside of work in slip and fall incidents on private property, in motor vehicle accidents, and as a result of interpersonal violence. If another party caused a foot or ankle injury to you outside of your workplace, a personal injury claim is likely to be your best option for recovering your damages. If you don’t know whether any other party bears fault for a recent foot or ankle injury, regardless of whether it happened at work, it’s important to consult an experienced lawyer. Your legal team may be able to discern avenues of recovery you may not immediately recognize.

What to Do After a Work-Related Foot or Ankle Injury

If you were hurt at work, North Carolina law likely requires your employer to have workers’ compensation insurance, and you may file a claim for benefits in response to your workplace injury. You should expect to undergo a medical examination from a workers’ compensation physician, and the amount of benefits you receive hinges on the severity of your injury. Therefore, it’s important to report workplace injuries immediately after they occur so there are no unnecessary delays in your workers’ compensation claim.

Your employer is legally required to provide the materials needed to file your claim, and they may not interfere with your claim or punish you for filing it. An experienced Winston-Salem foot and ankle injury lawyer can assist clients to complete their workers’ compensation claim forms, preventing any errors from causing administrative delays with the claim. In addition, if any disputes arise with the insurance company, the client will have legal counsel readily available to address these issues and to ensure they receive a fair determination of benefits.

Workers’ compensation can potentially cover the claimant’s medical expenses for healing their foot or ankle injury and managing their symptoms in recovery. Some claimants will also qualify for ongoing disability benefits, typically paid at a rate of two-thirds of the claimant’s average weekly wage until they reach maximum medical recovery. In addition, some claimants could qualify for partial benefits when they can work but cannot earn as much because of their injury. Your attorney’s guidance will be crucial to ensure you receive appropriate compensation for any work-related injury in Winston-Salem. M. Reid Acree, Jr., can guide you through the workers’ compensation process before helping you build a civil claim to enhance your recovery, if necessary.

Filing a Winston-Salem Personal Injury Accident Claim for Your Foot Injuries

When a specific party bears fault for a foot or ankle injury, the victim has the right to hold them accountable for their damages and seek compensation through a personal injury claim. However, if an injury occurred in the workplace, the injured worker may not be able to file a suit against their employer. This is because the workers’ compensation laws of North Carolina typically prohibit civil claims against employers unless those employers do not have workers’ compensation insurance or intentionally cause the injuries in question.

An injured worker can have grounds for a workers’ compensation claim and a separate civil claim against the party responsible for their injury. For example, if a third party caused an accident while you were driving for work and you suffered a foot or ankle injury, the injury is a covered work injury since you were performing job duties when it happened, but since a third party caused it, you can pursue a civil claim against them in addition to your workers’ compensation claim.

What to Expect From Your Winston-Salem Foot and Ankle Injury Attorney

Ultimately, you may have more options for recovering from your recent foot or ankle injury than you initially realized. A good attorney can help you explore them and develop a legal strategy that suits your needs. M. Reid Acree, Jr., takes a client-focused approach to legal counsel, taking time to learn each client’s needs and concerns to provide individualized representation. If you don’t know how you’ll recover from a recent foot or ankle injury at work or because of another party’s negligence, we can help.

The right attorney can tremendously impact the outcome of a workers’ compensation claim and/or personal injury claim filed in response to a foot or ankle injury. Attorney M. Reid Acree, Jr., has the professional resources and experience necessary for handling the toughest foot and ankle injury claims, including those that involve long-term or permanent harm. To discuss your legal options from your recent foot or ankle injury, contact us today and schedule your consultation with a Winston-Salem foot and ankle injury attorney.