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Workers’ Compensation Mistakes To Avoid

As much as you try to avoid them, workers’ compensation mistakes do happen. If you sustain serious injuries at your workplace due to any accident or mishap, it can be a stressful experience. Depending on the extent of your injury, you may need to take time off of work and go through a long treatment and recovery process. In such a case, not only do you have to bear additional expenses, but you also end up losing your income. So there will be many difficulties to face, and that too for no fault of your own.

Fortunately, workers’ compensation policies offer financial support to people who get injured during work. Such policies cover the medical expenses and also grant some percentage of the wages. But the process of claiming workers’ compensation is not always smooth and easy. If you’re not well acquainted with the process, there is a possibility that you might make some mistakes and errors. And even some minor mistakes can lead to the rejection of your claims.

So if you want to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve, you should be aware of all mistakes and steer clear of them. Here are some common workers’ compensation mistakes that you should avoid at all costs when claiming your compensation.

Not Sending a Formal Report of Your Injury

When an injury occurs, the first course of action is to seek treatment. So amidst the shock and chaos, you can forget to inform your employer about the incident. ‘Informing’ doesn’t mean just telling your employer that you’re injured. Instead, you should send a formal written letter or application stating the nature of the incident and your injuries. Not doing so can be a mistake because a written notice is an important record during the compensation process.

In fact, many states have laws that injuries should be formally reported within 30 days to claim compensation. If you fail to report within that time, you won’t be eligible to claim compensation. Even if there is a 30-day period, you should always report your injuries as soon as possible.

Delaying Treatment and Medical Care

If your injury doesn’t require immediate treatment, you may take things lightly and delay the necessary medical treatment. But doing so is a big mistake, making it seem like your injury isn’t severe enough for you to take a leave from work or receive substantial compensation.

Not just delaying medical care, but even being negligent about the treatment can compromise your chances of getting compensation. This is because it allows the insurance to counter your claims citing your negligence to tend to your injuries. So being cautious and diligent about the treatment is not just important for your own well-being and recovery but is also essential for your compensation.

Relying On Your Employer And The Insurance Agency For The Compensation Process

When you are busy tending to your injuries and going through the recovery period, following up with the workers’ compensation process can be quite a hassle. At such times, you may think of letting your employer and their insurance company take care of the process, expecting them to do their due diligence. But as with any insurance plan, you should remember that the main priority for insurance companies is not your well-being but to pay as little compensation as they can.

So never make the mistake of readily trusting the insurance company. Instead, you must oversee the entire process yourself, be alert at every step, and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.

Not Keeping All Records

When claiming compensation, you must present all required records and documents. That includes every medical record, bills, receipts, prescriptions, and also other records such as how long you have been off work, the doctor’s report of your injury, and how long it could possibly take to recover. Apart from that, any other paperwork or document you have that is relevant to your condition should be safely stored.

Having all these documents will make your case clear and easy to determine how much compensation you should receive. In the absence of any important document, you can end up receiving a lot less than what you claim.

Not Having an Attorney

Choosing to file the claim yourself without any help from an attorney is also a workers’ compensation mistake you should avoid. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t claim the compensation on your own. But more often than not, it’s going to be very difficult to handle the process all by yourself, especially when you’re already injured and recovering.

An attorney can take the burden off your shoulders so you can focus on your treatment, give you much-needed peace of mind, and most importantly, make sure that the case is handled appropriately – with all evidence in place – so that you get the deserved compensation.

Our Lawyers Help You Avoid Workers’ Compensation Mistakes

Injuries at the workplace can leave you distressed, and you may have a lot to deal with. In such a situation, when you have to take care of the compensation process, you can likely make some mistakes that can compromise your case. Now that you know about such common mistakes, we hope you will avoid them. In most cases, it’s always best to have an attorney handle the process to ensure that you don’t make any such mistakes and successfully receive full compensation.

To steer clear from common workers’ compensation mistakes, contact us today.

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