Are you looking for a workers' compensation lawyer in Hempstead, NY?
At Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C., we are trusted workers' compensation lawyers serving clients across Hempstead and the surrounding area.
If you have been hurt on the job in Hempstead, an attorney can help you pursue the workers' compensation benefits you're owed. Our firm has represented injured workers for more than three decades. A Hempstead, NY workers' compensation lawyer at Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. can guide your claim from the first filing through any hearing or appeal. We handle workers' compensation matters and nothing else. If your benefits have stopped or your claim has been denied, reach out to our office for a free consultation about your options.
Workers' Compensation Lawyer Hempstead, NY
Across New York, private-industry employers reported 122,400 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Behind each of those numbers is a worker in Hempstead or a nearby community trying to recover and stay financially afloat.
Workers' compensation is a state insurance system that pays benefits to employees who are injured or become ill because of their jobs. A workers' compensation lawyer represents the injured worker, not the employer or the insurance carrier. We prepare the claim, respond to disputes, and appear before the Board so that the medical care and wage benefits owed to you are actually paid.
Types of Workers' Compensation Cases We Handle in Hempstead
Our practice is limited to workers' compensation, so the matters below are the ones we handle regularly for injured workers in Hempstead. Some involve a single sudden accident. Others build slowly, over months or years on the job. In each of them, the goal is the same: full medical treatment and the wage benefits the law provides.
- Construction injuries. Falls from scaffolding, ladder collapses, and struck-by incidents leave construction workers with serious harm. We pursue benefits for medical care and lost wages while the hard physical work of recovery goes on. Construction claims often involve more than one insurer, and we sort out who is responsible.
- Falls at work. A wet floor, an unmarked step, or a cluttered walkway can cause fractures, torn ligaments, and head injuries. These claims frequently turn on prompt reporting and steady medical documentation. A fall that looks minor at first can turn into months of treatment, so we help build that record from the start.
- Repetitive stress injuries. Not every workplace injury happens in an instant. Carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and chronic back conditions can develop from years of the same motion. They qualify for benefits when the work causes them, though insurers often argue otherwise. We have handled these claims for office staff and laborers alike.
- Occupational illnesses. Exposure to chemicals, dust, loud noise, or other hazards can lead to disease that surfaces long after the first day on the job. We connect the medical evidence to the workplace so the claim holds up under scrutiny. These cases can be harder to prove, so the medical opinion linking the disease to the job matters a great deal.
- Work-related vehicle accidents. Delivery drivers, home health aides, and other employees who drive for work may be covered when they are hurt on the road. Coverage can apply even when another driver caused the crash, and a separate case against that driver is sometimes possible.
- Denied claims. Insurers deny valid claims, cut off benefits, and question whether an injury is real. We take these disputes to hearings and appeals and keep pressing until the record is corrected. Delay is often the strategy, and we counter it by moving the case forward.
- Permanent disability. Some injuries never fully heal. When a worker is left with lasting limitations, we pursue the permanency and schedule loss of use awards that account for that loss.
Why Choose Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. as my Workers' Compensation Lawyer in Hempstead, NY?
Three Decades Focused Only on Injured Workers
Our firm has represented injured workers for more than 30 years, and workers' compensation is the only law we practice. Mark Polsky has handled these claims since 1987, Donald Shouldice since 1992, and Adam Rosen since 1995. That focus shows in the hearings and appeals we have argued for injured employees, and in the results reflected in our clients' testimonials. Over that time we have taken cases through every stage of the system, from the first hearing to appeals when a decision needs to be challenged.
Recognized Leadership in Nassau County Workers' Compensation
Mark Polsky and Adam Rosen have each served on the workers' compensation committee of the Nassau County Bar Association, and both earned their law degrees from Hofstra Law School in Hempstead. Mark Polsky has also been recognized by the Town of Hempstead for his service to the community. This is the field these attorneys have built their careers around, and it is the only work our office takes on.
Understanding Workers' Compensation Cases
Benefits Available in a Workers' Compensation Claim
Workers' compensation is a no-fault system, which means benefits are generally available regardless of who caused the injury. The system covers a broad range of injuries and illnesses, from sudden trauma to conditions that develop over time. What you can recover falls into a few categories.
- Medical care. Treatment for the work injury, including doctor visits, surgery, and physical therapy, provided by authorized medical providers.
- Wage replacement. Cash benefits equal to two-thirds of your average weekly wage multiplied by your degree of disability, subject to a statewide maximum the Board adjusts each July.
- Temporary disability. Payments while you cannot work at all, or can work only at reduced capacity, during your recovery.
- Permanent disability. Awards for lasting impairment, including schedule loss of use awards for injuries to arms, legs, hands, and other body parts.
- Death benefits. Support for surviving family members when a work injury or illness proves fatal.
Some claims resolve through a voluntary Section 32 settlement, which closes the case for an agreed sum. Whether that makes sense depends on your medical situation and your future needs. There is no cost to you for authorized medical treatment, and you don't pay the insurer's bills out of pocket.
What Are Important Aspects of a Workers' Compensation Case?
A few things shape a claim from the very beginning, and getting them right protects your benefits. Under New York law, an injured worker generally has two years to file a claim and must notify the employer within 30 days. These deadlines function as the statute of limitations, and missing them can end an otherwise valid claim. Gaps in treatment and late paperwork are two of the most common reasons benefits are cut off.
- Report the injury to your employer in writing, and do it promptly.
- Get medical treatment, and make sure each provider records that the injury is work-related.
- Keep copies of everything, including forms, letters, and bills.
- Understand that a denied claim is not the end, since hearings and appeals exist to correct it.
What Is the Workers' Compensation Case Timeline?
No two claims move at the same pace, but most follow a similar path from injury to resolution. How long each stage takes depends on whether the insurer accepts the claim and how quickly medical evidence comes in.
- Report the injury and get medical care right away.
- File your claim with the Board within the filing deadlines set by law.
- The insurer reviews the claim and either accepts it or disputes it.
- Hearings before a Workers' Compensation Law Judge resolve any contested issues.
- The claim ends in an award, a settlement, or an appeal when a decision is wrong.
What Should You Bring to Your Workers' Compensation Consultation?
Bringing a few documents to your first meeting helps us assess your claim quickly and accurately.
- The date and details of your injury or illness.
- Your employer's name and information about your job and pay.
- Medical records and bills connected to the injury.
- Any letters or forms from the insurer or the Board.
The consultation is free, and there is no obligation. We will look over what happened and give you a straight assessment of the claim.
Nassau County Workers' Compensation Board and Local Resources
Hempstead sits in Nassau County, and claims from this area are handled through the Board's Long Island District Office, which now operates from Islandia and serves Nassau and Suffolk workers. Hearings are held before a Workers' Compensation Law Judge, and many are now conducted virtually. Hempstead is home to construction sites, warehouses, hospitals, and municipal jobs, and injuries in those workplaces make up much of what we handle here. Knowing how the local Board operates helps us prepare your case and keep it moving toward a decision.
Reach Out to Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. to Schedule a Consultation
If you were injured at work in Hempstead, our firm is ready to review your claim at no cost. The consultation is free, and it comes from a firm that has handled workers' compensation and nothing else for decades. We will explain where your claim stands and, if you choose to move forward, handle it through to a resolution. Contact us to schedule your free consultation.
