Dental damage can be painful and damaging to your self-esteem as well as time-consuming and expensive.
Work injuries can differ in severity and the impact they have on an individual’s life. However, when we think about receiving compensation, we often tend to only consider cases where the victim suffers extensive or extremely serious damage. The reality is that compensation may be claimed for something seemingly “trivial” like a broken tooth.
Dental damage can be painful and damaging to your self-esteem as well as time-consuming and expensive. Fortunately, workers compensation is in place to help employees pay for treatment and get back on their feet as soon as possible. If you have been injured, it is in your best interests to speak with an experienced Kansas City work injury attorney as soon as possible.
Dental Injury Compensation Claims
The principle is simple when asking for compensation for any type of injury: it doesn’t matter if the incident was entirely your fault; as long as it wasn’t intentional, you can generally claim compensation. However, you will need enough evidence to support your claim.
Here are some examples of dental injury:
- Battery
- Accident while operating a vehicle, such as a forklift.
- Falling or tripping due to poor maintenance of the stairs, interior, etc.
- Rare, but not unseen, lip injuries fall into the dental injury category
How to Receive Compensation for Dental Injuries
The first thing you need to do to receive compensation for dental injuries is to report your injury and see a doctor as soon as possible. Failing to do so will enable adjusters to claim that the injury wasn’t that severe since you didn’t need medical attention. Or they might argue that you got hurt somewhere else since there is no paper trail of your injury.
It is key to provide medical documents as soon as possible after the incident. Filing for a claim months after the accident and with no medical records to prove when and how it happened, could affect your chances of receiving compensation.
You should also consider the psychological damage you might suffer as a consequence of your tooth damage. If your front teeth are damaged, you may tend to stay indoors, avoid meeting with your friends or going to work, which may result in anxiety, depression and mental hardship. As long as you are assessed by an expert who can prove that the damage was caused by the accident, you may be able to claim compensation for it as well.
Speak With an Attorney
The conclusion is simple: teaming up with a good Missouri workers’ compensation lawyer can make or break your case. It is not always easy to get all the details of a claim right, especially if your medical history lacks proper dental care. However, an experienced attorney can help ensure your legal rights are protected.
Give us a call 24/7 at (816) 399-3706 for a FREE case evaluation.