Steps to Follow When Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Individuals who sustain injuries on the job are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. You can receive workers’ compensation benefits if you follow the laws for filing your claim. Below is a list of steps to follow when filing a workers’ compensation claim.

Seek Medical Care

If you suffer illness or injuries at work, your initial priority should be your well-being. Victims can obtain their initial treatment from a regular primary care provider and any other doctor. However, once the claim process initiates, you’ll need to see a healthcare provider chosen by your employer. Though your employer is required by law to choose your doctor, victims can file a claim for application adjustment with the workers’ compensation board if they feel like they aren’t receiving adequate medical care. Make sure you notify your medical provider that you sustained injuries at work. Medical providers should include such statements in their notes to help support the victims’ claims down the road.

Make Sure Your Employer Files the Required Form

Once you notify your employer regarding your injuries, they will prepare a written report for the workers’ compensation insurance company. Your employer has up to seven days to fill out a report of injury form and send it to the insurance company. Victims who don’t receive a report of the employer’s injury report within seven days must talk to the employer to establish the problem. Contact a lawyer if your employer fails or otherwise refuses to submit the form. Alternatively, victims who sustain injuries at their workplace can contact worker compensation lawyers at KlezmerMaudlin.com for assistance.

Notify Your Employer

If you become ill at work or sustain injuries at the workplace, you must notify your employer within 30 days of the incident. The notice lets them draft a written report for the workers’ compensation insurance company. Victims who fail to notify their employer within 30 days after the injury may have their claim denied. Victims can protect themselves from this outcome by notifying the human resource department of their employer both in writing and orally. Ensure you send a written notification to the employer and request a return receipt to prove that the employer received the notice.

Wait for a Decision From the Insurance Company

When the insurance company gets the report, the insurer will then file a copy of the same with the workers’ compensation board to initiate its investigation of the victim’s claim. As part of the investigation, victims can expect the investigator to contact them or their employer to obtain facts about the case. Victims can also expect that an investigator will assess their social media accounts. Consequently, those who sustain injuries at the workplace shouldn’t have information on their accounts that may be used against them, such as photos of them participating in activities they claim they can’t participate in due to sustained injuries.

Steps to Take if Your Work Injury Claim Gets Denied

Victims who aren’t happy with the decision (either they weren’t awarded the benefits they feel they deserve or were denied benefits) can appeal the decision. First, victims should contact their employer’s insurance carrier to establish why their claims were denied and why they didn’t receive the benefits they thought they should receive. Mistakes are bound to occur, and disputes are sometimes resolved by obtaining medical records or sharing information. Victims who can’t resolve the dispute may contact a reliable attorney to explore alternative options for resolving disputes. If these alternatives fail to bear fruits, victims can file a claim for application for adjustment within two years from the date of the accident that led to the injury.

A workers’ compensation lawyer enables victims to file their claims properly. A seasoned attorney helps you to file a successful appeal if your claim gets denied and if you fail to receive the benefits you deserve. Workers’ compensation lawyers have adequate experience investigating claims, medical records, taking insurers to court, and negotiating with insurers.