If you are injured on the job and unable to return to work, you hope you can file a workers’ compensation claim and begin to receive benefits without delay. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.
Even if you believe you have every right to receive workers’ compensation benefits, your employer or its insurance company may not feel the same way.
There are many reasons why workers’ compensation claims are denied, including but not limited to the following:
— The injury was not reported to your employer in time. To prevent this, don’t wait a single day to report the injury to your supervisor or human resources department.
— The claim was not filed in time. This is determined by state law, but you don’t have an indefinite amount of time to file a workers’ compensation claim.
— Your employer disputes the claim. This could happen for many reasons, such as if your company feels that you were injured outside of work.
— You did not receive medical treatment. Generally speaking, you need to be examined by a medical professional to receive workers’ compensation.
If your workers’ compensation claim is denied for any reason, the next step is simple: filing an appeal.
Carefully examine your denial letter for a better idea of why your claim was not approved. From there, gather the necessary information and craft a response that works in your favor. It’s your hopes that your appeal is enough to have the decision overturned. If it isn’t, you may need to learn more about your legal rights. If you have the right to receive benefits, you shouldn’t give up until you’ve exhausted all your options.
Source: FindLaw, “Workers’ Comp Denied? Here Are Your Next Steps,” accessed March 03, 2017
