Suffering an injury on the job is stressful enough. Combine that with the fact that your workers’ compensation claim was delayed and your stress levels could go through the roof. Dealing with a delayed claim means that you will not receive the benefits you deserve because of the injury suffered while at work. Here’s what you should do if your workers’ comp claim is ever delayed.
A workers’ compensation claim can be delayed for at most 90 days. A lot of the time, this is done by the insurance companies in an effort to tire the worker to the point where he or she stops pursuing the claim. Then there are the times where an investigation is launched into the workplace accident that caused the reported injury.
The best thing you can do when injured on the job is seek immediate medical attention. Have the doctor put everything in writing for you so that it can be sent to your employer and their insurance company. You then need to report the injury through the proper channels at work based on the company’s policies.
You also need to consult with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney when injured on the job. This attorney will know how to handle the claim and file the appropriate paperwork in an effort to avoid the claim being denied or delayed.
The delay of a workers’ comp claim can be difficult and annoying. The only thing under your control is reporting the initial injury immediately. Other than that, the rest of the claim process is left up to your employer and their insurance company.
