Buffalo Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for Dental Assistants & Hygienists
Your work as a dental assistant or hygienist requires precision, stamina, and repetitive physical motion every single day. When an on-the-job injury or a chronic condition affects your ability to perform your duties, you deserve clear answers about your rights.
A Buffalo workers’ compensation lawyer helps injured employees recover medical care and wage benefits after a work-related injury. At Lewis & Lewis, P.C., we represent dental assistants and hygienists whose careers are affected by repetitive stress injuries, falls, and other workplace conditions in dental offices.
Why Choose Lewis & Lewis, P.C. for Your Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Since 1944, Lewis & Lewis, P.C. has remained a pillar of the Western New York community, recovering over $1 billion for clients. We represent dental professionals from the Elmwood Village to neighborhoods near the Walden Galleria.
Here is why people choose our firm:
- Generations of Experience: For over 80 years, our attorneys have protected injured workers in Western New York.
- A History of Results: We have a long track record of successfully securing benefits for thousands of injured workers throughout the Buffalo area.
- Direct Local Knowledge: We know the Workers’ Compensation Board very well and understand Buffalo’s local system and its key players.
Our office is ready to help you take the next step. For a free case review, contact our experienced team at (716) 442-8885.
How Workers’ Compensation Works for Buffalo Dental Workers
If you work in a dental office in Buffalo and get hurt or sick because of your job, you can get help. Not every injury happens in a sudden accident. Many dental workers suffer from injuries that get worse over time.
New York uses a no-fault system, which means you can get help even if the injury was your mistake. You don’t have to prove your boss did anything wrong. If the injury happened because of your work, you’re usually covered.
Your Employer’s Responsibilities
By law, most dental offices must pay for workers’ compensation insurance in New York. This is a cost the business pays, not you. It’s meant to cover your medical bills and pay back some of your lost wages if you have to miss work.
Insurance companies often fight dental claims. Since many injuries develop slowly, the insurance company might argue that your pain came from a hobby or an old injury instead of your job. This is why it’s important to report any pain to your boss as soon as it starts.
Common Work-Related Injuries for Dental Assistants and Hygienists
The daily tasks of dental assistants and hygienists create a unique set of physical risks that often lead to workers’ compensation claims. Unlike a sudden accident, many of these injuries develop slowly over time, a direct result of the specific demands of your job. These gradual-onset conditions are just as valid for a claim as injuries from a single incident.
Repetitive Motion and Musculoskeletal Disorders
Your profession demands that you hold precise, often awkward positions for extended periods. This work, combined with the repetitive use of vibrating tools and fine motor hand movements, can lead to serious musculoskeletal conditions.
It’s very common for dental professionals to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, nerve compression, and trigger finger. You may also face shoulder impingement, tendonitis in the wrist or elbow, cervical spine injuries in the neck, and lower back disc injuries.
These conditions can progress from minor discomfort to a debilitating problem that prevents you from working.
Slips, Trips, and Falls in the Dental Office
A dental office contains numerous hazards that can cause a serious fall. Spills of water or other liquids, stray electrical cords for equipment, and cluttered walkways all pose a significant risk. A fall on a hard clinical floor can cause fractures, head injuries, or serious sprains.
What Benefits Are Available Under Workers’ Compensation?
The New York workers’ compensation system provides several types of benefits to injured workers. These benefits are designed to cover your medical expenses and compensate for a portion of your lost income while you recover.
The specific benefits you may be able to receive depend on the nature and severity of your injury and your ability to work. A Buffalo workers’ compensation lawyer can help dental assistants and hygienists identify all available benefits.
Here are the primary benefits an injured dental professional might receive:
- Full Medical Care: This covers 100% of the cost of all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to your work injury, with no deductibles or copays.
- Wage Replacement Benefits: These are payments to compensate you for a portion of your lost wages while you’re temporarily or permanently unable to work.
- Schedule Loss of Use Award: For permanent injuries to extremities like your hands, wrists, arms, or shoulders, you may obtain a cash award, even if you miss little to no time from work.
- Death Benefits: If a work injury proves fatal, the worker’s surviving spouse and dependents may receive weekly cash benefits.
Workers’ Compensation Hearings and Appeals in Buffalo
If the insurance carrier denies your claim or disputes any part of your benefits, your case may proceed to a hearing before a Workers’ Compensation Law Judge. This is a formal legal proceeding where both sides present evidence and arguments.
Having an experienced Buffalo workers’ compensation attorney represent you during this process is vital. Your attorney will prepare you for the questions you might face and will handle all the legal procedures.
Preparing for Your Hearing
Your lawyer will gather all relevant medical records, witness statements, and your personal logs to build a comprehensive case file. We’ll meet with you beforehand to review the questions the insurance company’s lawyer is likely to ask and to practice your testimony.
Our goal is to make sure you feel confident and prepared to describe your injury and its impact on your life.
Presenting Your Case
At the hearing, your lawyer will present your case to the judge. This involves submitting medical evidence, questioning you about your job duties and injury, and cross-examining the insurance company’s witnesses, including their medical examiner.
We’ll make a clear and persuasive legal argument that demonstrates why you qualify for benefits under New York law.
FAQ for Workers’ Compensation for Dental Assistants and Hygienists
How Does a Lawyer Prove a Repetitive Stress Injury To Be Work-Related?
Proving a repetitive stress injury involves medical evidence and a detailed description of your job duties. We use your doctor’s medical opinion to connect your condition, such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel, to the specific repetitive motions you perform at work.
Your own testimony, along with your job description and personal logs detailing your tasks and symptoms, helps build the case that your work activity was the cause of the injury.
Can My Employer Fire Me for Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
New York law prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee for filing a workers’ compensation claim. This means your employer cannot legally fire you, demote you, or otherwise discriminate against you simply because you sought benefits for a work-related injury.
If you believe your employer has taken action against you for filing a claim, you may have grounds for a separate discrimination case.
What Happens if My Workers’ Comp Claim Is Denied?
If the insurance carrier denies your claim, we can help you appeal that decision. Your case will be scheduled for a hearing before a Workers’ Compensation Law Judge. At the hearing, your attorney will present evidence and arguments to challenge the denial.
It’s very common for initial claims, especially for repetitive stress injuries, to be disputed, so a denial isn’t the end of the claim.
Are Dental Hygienists Covered by Workers’ Compensation in New York?
In New York, most dental hygienists and assistants who work as employees qualify for workers’ compensation coverage. Coverage typically applies to full-time and part-time workers. Workers’ comp can pay for medical treatment and may pay part of your lost wages when a work-related injury or occupational disease keeps you out of work.
Can Repetitive Strain Injuries Qualify for Workers’ Comp?
New York law recognizes that many injuries happen slowly over time. These are often called occupational diseases or gradual injuries. Since dental work requires holding the same poses and using vibrating tools, injuries like carpal tunnel or neck strain are common.
As long as you can show that your injury was caused by your daily work tasks, you can qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
Contact Our Firm Today
Your ability to work and your physical well-being are too important to leave to chance. Let the experienced team at Lewis & Lewis, P.C. manage the legal details while you concentrate on your health. We’re ready to put our decades of experience to work for you.
Lewis & Lewis – Personal Injury Lawyer – Buffalo Office Location
Address: 37 Franklin Street #800 Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone: (716) 442-8987
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Satisfied Client Stories
”I liked Lewis & Lewis from the beginning when they helped me sort through all the paperwork-related to my injury. They really helped me get organized. But what really impressed me was when my Lewis & Lewis personal injury lawyer obtained thousands of dollars in workers’ compensation benefits that I didn’t even know I was entitled to. My attorney worked hard to get me paid.
Fred T.Kenmore, NY - Steam Fitter
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