Issues You Can Encounter When Claiming Workers’ Compensation
In an ideal world, filing a workers’ compensation claim after experiencing an illness or injury at work would be straightforward for everyone.
For many people, it is. However, some employees encounter many problems that prevent them from being able to focus solely on their recovery. From claim denials and ineligibility to medical issues and inadequate evidence, here are some of the many commonly encountered workers’ compensation issues to be aware of.
Your Employer Disputes It
It can sometimes be in your best interest to reach out to a foot and ankle injury worker’s compensation lawyer when you’ve experienced a foot or ankle injury at work and your workers’ compensation claim has been denied because of employer disputes.
Insurance companies can sometimes deny claims because employers have disputed a claim’s validity. They may say that you weren’t performing work-related duties when it happened or say that the injury didn’t even happen at work. When you know you’re entitled to compensation, contacting a personal injury lawyer can be essential.
You Reported Late
You can sometimes be so busy focusing on recovering from your illness or injury that you forget to follow your workplace’s procedures and report your injury or illness to your employer right away. Any delays in reporting your claim may cause problems in receiving workers’ compensation. This is because there are strict deadlines for workplace injury reporting.
The reporting deadline can vary from state to state, with it being 30 days in some states and up to 90 in others. Depending on the illness or injury, that deadline can be longer. According to OSHA, employers also only have eight hours to report a fatality and up to 24 hours to report a hospitalization, eye loss, or amputation. After these timeframes, compensation claims can sometimes encounter challenges.
There’s Insufficient Medical Evidence
Employers and their insurance companies need plenty of documentation to support the connection between what happened in the workplace and your resultant injuries. Most people have no problems providing this documentation through their healthcare providers. However, it’s not always clean-cut.
Depending on the injury, the available evidence from a healthcare provider can sometimes lack substance, making it difficult for an insurance company to know that an injury or illness is work-related.
You Can’t Negotiate a Fair Settlement
Medical bills in the United States can be expensive, making up around 7% of non-mortgage debt among consumers. After being injured at work, you might be relying on a fair settlement to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, and ongoing disability.
Some insurance companies don’t offer what you need. Some employees find that settlement offers fall far short of their work accident-related outgoings. This is a significant issue that can sometimes require legal intervention.
The Illness or Injury is Challenging to Link
In the case of conditions that develop over time, such as occupational diseases and repetitive stress injuries, proving a link to a working environment can sometimes be challenging. Employers and insurance companies can sometimes push back, saying that a condition you developed over time is not related to your work.
There’s every reason to believe any workers’ compensation claim you make will be stress-free and straightforward, but that’s not guaranteed. Many employees face challenges like those above, making it essential to seek legal assistance as soon as possible.
