Common Issues Injured Workers Face When Pursuing a Workers’ Comp Claim

Workers’ compensation is meant to protect employees if they sustain injuries on the job or develop an occupational illness. Employees must have their accident-related medical expenses and lost income covered. However, employers and insurance companies will try to save money whenever they can. As a result, injured workers can face a lot of challenges when pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. You can learn more about this below:

Untimely Filing of Claims

Companies may use untimely filing as a reason for not giving the benefits an injured worker deserves. Often, workers have thirty days to file a claim; however, they have to notify their employer about this in writing as soon as possible. 

Injured workers must be provided with a form they must fill out. When the paperwork starts moving, the workers must obtain copies of everything for their files. This can help them when they have to contact a lawyer. 

Confusion Regarding Medical Treatment and Physician Visits

Many employees have no idea that they must see a specific medical provider for their compensation claim. Often, they can choose somebody from a list of doctors approved by the insurance company. Their doctor may not be part of this list. While an injured worker can see their doctor, the cost won’t be covered by workers’ comp. 

Claim Denials

Just because a worker gets injured on the job does not mean their workers’ comp claim gets approved. When this happens, they must pay out of pocket for their treatment and rehabilitation or use their health insurance for covering the cost. Also, they may not be able to work for a certain period because of their work injury, so they lose income. The employee may get fired for not reporting to work. There are many reasons a claim can be denied including late filing, fault denial, employment classification, and undocumented injury. 

If an employee thinks the denial of their claim is unreasonable and that the reason provided isn’t true, they should speak with an attorney. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the case, the termination may be wrongful and a lawyer can help fight for it. 

Workers’ comp claims can be exhausting and frustrating, particularly when an employer or their insurer does not want to provide the claimant with the benefits they deserve. If a worker’s claim is denied, they must find somebody who can fight for their rights. A reliable worker’s comp attorney can help them get the benefits they deserve.