If your job caused your illness or injury, you might be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits would cover your medical expenses, some of your missed income while you were recovering from your accident, and permanent disability benefits if your injury left you permanently disabled.
You must disclose your injuries and submit a claim in line with your state’s regulations to be eligible for these benefits. Although every state has its unique workers compensation system, most states follow similar standards when filing claims. We’ll discuss the common workers’ compensation claims processes across all states below.
Filing a workers’ compensation claim
Your employer should provide you with any relevant forms to complete once you disclose your injuries. These forms are often sent by the employer to the state workers’ compensation department as well as its insurance provider. This will be the formal beginning of your workers’ compensation claim in certain states. In these states, if your benefits are rejected and you choose to appeal the decision, you will simply need to submit formal documentation to the state workers’ compensation agency.
In some states, at the beginning of your case, you will also need to submit an official workers’ compensation claim form to the state workers’ compensation agency. State-by-state variations also exist in the deadline for this phase.
What actually occurs after filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Before accepting or rejecting your claim, the insurance provider will look into it. In most cases, the insurer has two to four weeks to notify you of its decision. In many states, your claim is automatically deemed authorized if it isn’t rejected by the deadline.
You will begin getting benefits if the claim is accepted. Should your claim be rejected—which occurs frequently—you are entitled to file an appeal.
When is the right time to work with an attorney?
If your claim has been rejected, you ought to consult an attorney right away. Denials can occur for a variety of reasons, such as missing deadlines or disagreements over the relevance of your medical condition to your job.
The appeals procedure is time-sensitive and intricate. An accomplished workers’ compensation lawyer can support your case in a variety of ways, from obtaining evidence to supporting your claim to engaging in negotiations with the insurance provider or providing representation during hearings.
And you won’t normally have to pay anything up in advance for a lawyer. Workers’ compensation lawyers charge a percentage of your benefits if you win and nothing if you lose in almost all states.
Accidents or diseases that occur at work can occur in any kind of business. Employees can profit greatly from workers’ compensation insurance in this situation. Workers’ compensation claims can be filed by sick or injured workers, who will then get weekly payments to cover medical expenses and lost income. Workers’ compensation insurance and workman’s compensation are other names for this coverage. Therefore, if you’re someone who has been injured at work, don’t think twice before hiring a workers’ compensation attorney.
