If you are injured on the job, you are likely eligible to receive workers’ compensation. Your workers’ compensation benefits can be especially critical if your injury is expensive to treat or forces you to miss days of work. Typically, if you report your injury to your employer and file your claim correctly, you should receive some measure of financial recompense to cover your expenses.
However, there are instances in which a claim could be denied. When this happens, you should be sent a written explanation for the denial. There are a number possible scenarios for not being granted compensation, which include:
- An employer believes that your injury occurred while you were engaged in a prohibited activity such as horseplay.
- There is not enough proof that your injury is work-related.
- The type of injury you suffered is not eligible for compensation.
- You did not obtain medical treatment for your injury.
- You did not report the injury within the required time frame.
- You did not file the claim within the required time frame.
These are just a few of the reasons that a workers’ compensation claim might be rejected. But a denial is not necessarily the last word. The first thing you may want to do is discuss the matter with your employer or your employer’s insurer. It is possible that there was some kind of mix up that can be easily remedied.
If it turns out the claim was denied, it is possible to appeal the decision. But this must be done within the deadline contained in the denial letter, so you want to act accordingly.
Also, appealing a claim can be a complicated process. Therefore, you may want to have an experienced workers’ compensation attorney help guide you through the appeal process. If you have a legitimate claim, the attorney may be able to get you the benefits to which you are entitled.