Benefits for Ages 55-64
Detroit Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Ages 55 to 64
You’ve worked hard your entire life. As you approach retirement age, there’s still a lot you want to accomplish. And maybe, for financial reasons, you need to keep working.
You’re not alone. More than 64% of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 are still in the workforce.
So when you’re hurt on the job, it’s a major disruption to your life plans. You need to understand your rights.
Your hard work should qualify you for injured worker benefits—paying for lost wages and medical care—but some special considerations apply to workers’ compensation for people ages 55-64.
An experienced workers’ comp attorney from Levine Benjamin Law Firm can help you navigate this process.
Levine Benjamin Law Firm has been helping people with health problems and financial worries in Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids and all across Michigan since 1964.
From applying to appealing, we help you every step of the way.
What would you like to do?
Get the Maximum Benefits:
Special Issues in Workers’ Comp for Ages 55-64
For insurance companies, people in this age group can be expensive to cover.
This creates a central challenge you might face with your workers’ comp claim: the insurance company’s main goal—making money—contradicts your needs.
Studies have shown that injuries in workers aged 55–64 often are more severe than those of younger workers.
Workers in this group miss more work on average when injured. While the average for all workers is eight days off work, people between 55 to 64 who are injured average 12 missed days.
Add the fact that more people are remaining in the workforce longer and you can imagine how the costs compound for insurance companies.
For you, this means your employer’s workers’ comp insurer isn’t necessarily putting your interests first.
They’re choosing between fairness and profit. Their top concern might be avoiding large payments, leading them to choose the wrong path and deny you.
That’s when people need a workers’ comp attorney to fight for their hurt-on-the-job benefits.
Workers’ comp insurance companies might give you trouble because of the cost of your claim between ages 55 and 64.
Filing for Workers’ Comp
Filing for workers’ compensation benefits should be easy. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
It’s extremely important that you report your injury to a manager as soon as you realize you’re hurt.
Failing to do so can give your employer, or their workers’ comp insurer, a chance to deny your claim by saying your injury wasn’t work-related.
Your manager is required to file an incident report and the appropriate paperwork for you to receive benefits.
But some employers drag their feet. They don’t want their insurance rates to rise.
If this unfair treatment is happening to you, you should seek out a workers’ comp lawyer immediately.
If your manager refuses to help, an experienced legal professional can file the Workers’ Comp Form WC-117 for you. That form lets you directly report your injury and start your claim.
Always start your workers’ comp claim by reporting your injury as soon as possible.
Getting the Benefits You Deserve
Workers’ comp is designed so your on-the-job injury is covered even if the accident resulted from something you did.
In other words, if you were hurt on the job, you’re most likely eligible for benefits regardless of how the accident happened.
And if you’re denied benefits, that’s not the last word.
You have the right to appeal. Many injured workers only receive hurt-on-the-job benefits when they appeal a denial from their insurer.
If you’re trying to fight a workers’ comp denial without an attorney, you may not be giving yourself the best chance of winning benefits.
While the insurance company looks out for its profit, a workers’ comp attorney works directly for you.
If you’re between the ages of 55 and 64, and your employer or their insurance company are trying to deny or cut off your workers’ comp benefits, Levine Benjamin can help.
Your age should have no bearing on the benefits you receive. Securing benefits can be vital to your lifestyle and financial stability.
At Levine Benjamin, we evaluate your case for FREE. We don’t charge a fee until you win.