When you’re injured on the job, you need to act to protect your financial stability and your ability to secure medical care that’s necessary to facilitate your recovery. Workers’ compensation benefits may provide you with the relief that you seek, but securing this financial support isn’t guaranteed. In fact, many workers’ compensation claims are denied, leaving workers like you struggling to figure out how to get by. Making matters worse is many of these claim denials are avoidable since they are caused by otherwise avoidable mistakes.
You can’t afford to be your own worst enemy in your workers’ compensation case. That’s why if you’ve been hurt at work, then you need to know what errors can arise and how to avoid them. Let’s look at some of them here so that you’re more fully prepared to competently navigate the process.
On its face, the workers’ compensation process can seem straightforward. In reality, though, there are multiple intricacies that, if mishandled, can lead to a poor outcome. Therefore, as you proceed with your workers’ compensation case, you should be sure to watch for the following:
- Missed medical care: To secure workers’ compensation benefits, you have to show the nature and extent of your injuries as well as how they prevent you from working. If you ignore your doctor’s recommendations for follow up care and treatment, then there’s a good chance that your claim will be denied. Make sure you don’t miss key treatment opportunities and are instead generating a strong medical record.
- Minimized injuries: You have to be honest during the workers’ compensation claims process. While this means you shouldn’t exaggerate your injuries, it also means that you shouldn’t minimize them. If you downplay your injuries and the limitations they impose on you, then the insurance company will latch on to that to find a way to deny your claim.
- Actions that don’t align with claimed injuries: There’s a chance that the insurance company and its investigators will be watching your activities and monitoring your social media to see if you engage in activities that contradict your claimed injuries. If they find you lifting weights at a local gym despite claimed back injuries, for example, then you’re going to be hard pressed to secure the workers’ compensation benefits you want.
- Improper documentation of the workplace accident: When seeking workers’ compensation benefits, you want to be as clear as possible when it comes to articulating how you obtained your injuries. It’s best to write down your recollection of events as quickly after the incident as possible. If you don’t, then you might misremember key details that are then contradicted by other witnesses. This can result in a claim denial.
- Failure to adhere to workers’ compensation requirements: There are a lot of technical components to a workers’ compensation case, including reporting your injury and filing your claim before deadlines lapse. Make sure you know the timeframes in play in your case.
Don’t let an avoidable error lead to a denial
Your financial stability and the future of your recovery are on the line in your workers’ compensation case. Therefore, it’s imperative that you know how to avoid costly mistakes and build compelling legal arguments that position you for success. That can be difficult to think about since you’re focusing on coping with your injuries, but you have to devote attention to your claim. Fortunately, this isn’t a process that you have to face alone, so be sure to seek out any guidance that you may need along the way to maximize your chances of winning your workers’ compensation case.
