Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Serving Rhode Island

The workers’ compensation lawyers at Kantrovitz & Associates, P.C., are experienced with workers’ compensation cases for residents of Rhode Island who are employed and work in Massachusetts, and Rhode Island residents who were hired in Massachusetts and subsequently worked in other states and have been injured on the job.

Our team of experienced legal professionals has more than 20 years of experience ensuring that workers from Rhode Island are fairly compensated for any workplace injury or related illness. If you, as a Rhode Island resident, are injured while working in Massachusetts, we urge you to call our Boston-based workers’ compensation lawyers today at 800-367-0871 or use our online form to schedule a free case evaluation.

Our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Serve Rhode Island Residents

The latest U.S. Census estimate reports that slightly more than one million people live in Rhode Island. Much of the state’s economy is based on services, health care and education. Tourism and light manufacturing are the second and third most popular industries. Tourism has had related sales of $3.26 billion in recent years, as tiny Rhode Island has one of the largest concentrations of historic tourist landmarks in the nation.

Rhode Island’s vibrant arts and cultural scene and miles of pristine coastline attract the tourist trade. RI also boasts some of the most highly acclaimed dining venues in the country due to an ample supply of fresh seafood, an abundance of traditional New England dishes, and the local specialties derived from a broad ethnic influence of Italian, French, Portuguese, Near Eastern and Asian foods.

Medical Care for Rhode Island Workers

If you are a victim of a serious workplace injury or illness, you will likely need to spend time in a hospital, possibly followed by a stay in a rehabilitation center. Major hospitals abound in and around the capital city of Providence, including the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, which is the largest of Rhode Island’s general acute care hospitals. Known for many medical procedural breakthroughs and an abundance of specialized departments, Rhode Island Hospital is probably best known as the area’s Level One Trauma Center.

Medical service in the suburban and rural areas is championed by the state-run Rhode Island Health Center Association, which provides comprehensive preventive and primary care services, including dental services, to more than 120,000 Rhode Islanders at 27 locations across the state. Community health centers are the leaders in primary care in Rhode Island.

The Workers’ Compensation System in Rhode Island

The Rhode Island State Department of Labor and Training handles all aspects of workers’ compensation in the state of Rhode Island. Workers’ compensation is in the form of insurance bought by employers and used to pay for medical expenses and lost wages to employees who are injured while working. Employers are required to have workers’ compensation insurance to cover these benefits.

Several other agencies are also involved with workers’ compensation issues in Rhode Island. The Workers’ Compensation Court handles legal disputes. The Medical Advisory Board provides oversight and guidance for medical treatment of workers’ compensation injuries. The Department of Business Regulations regulates the rates and licenses of insurers who write workers’ compensation insurance for Rhode Island businesses.

Kantrovitz & Associates, P.C., represents Rhode Island residents whose injuries occurred in Massachusetts or who were hired in Massachusetts but who were injured out of state.

How the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation System Protects Rhode Island Workers

If you are a resident of Rhode Island employed in the state of Massachusetts, and you become injured or sick due to your employment, you have the right to receive medical treatment compensated by your employer under Massachusetts law. You may also be entitled to replacement wages.

The Office of Claims Administration (OCA) administers the workers’ compensation system in Massachusetts. This is where a claim for a work-related injury or illness begins. Disputed claims can then be taken to The Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA), which is responsible for overseeing the entire workers’ compensation system in Massachusetts and acts as a court system for these disputes.

You are required by law to notify your employer immediately if you become injured due to your employment, even if the injury or illness doesn’t appear to be serious or in need of emergency care. When you have a work-related injury or an illness that will result in lost work time of five or more scheduled workdays, your employer must file the Employer’s First Report of Injury or Fatality

(Form-101) with the DIA and their workers’ compensation insurance company within seven calendar days. Your employer’s insurance company then has 14 calendar days from when they receive this form to investigate the claim and to make a decision as to whether to pay your workers’ comp claim.

The DIA office in Massachusetts that services Rhode Island residents is located at the Public Information Office, Department of Industrial Accidents, 1 Father Devalles Boulevard, Fall River, MA 02723. The phone number is (508) 676-3406. Information about the Department of Industrial Accidents can also be found online at www.mass.gov/lwd/workers-compensation.

Contact Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Serving Rhode Island Today

If you are a Rhode Island resident who has been injured while working for a Massachusetts employer, let our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys offer you a free, no-obligation evaluation of your workers’ compensation claim. Call Kantrovitz & Associates, P.C., today toll free at 800-367-0871 or use our online contact form to receive more information.

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