How to Make Sure Your Workers’ Compensation Claim is Paid

If you have questions or trouble getting what you deserve under the workers’ compensation benefits, consider talking to an experienced lawyer.

Workers’ compensation ensures that employees who suffer from work-related injuries or illness receive the right medical treatment and get a certain portion of their wages. No insurance company may want to pay more than they should. They will ensure they have every reason to deny your claims. However, for the worker’s compensation benefits to be awarded, both the employee and the employer have a part to play. The employers should ensure they have workers’ compensation insurance while employees should ensure they report any injury to the employers. If you have been injured at your place of work, you should be able to get workers’ compensation benefits. To ensure your claim is not denied nor have your benefits terminated, you need to follow some guidelines.

How to Ensure Your Claim is Not Denied

Insurance companies tend to deny even the rightful claims. If your legitimate claim has been rejected with reasons you’re yet to come into terms with, it’s advisable to look for an experienced attorney in Anchorage. He/she knows the tactics the insurance companies use to deny employees their rights. Below is what you can do to ensure your claim is not denied:

• Get medical treatment: If you’re injured at the workplace, the first thing you should do is to seek medical treatment immediately. Insurance companies will always assume that if an individual never received medical care, they were not hurt. Have your medical reports describe the injuries suffered. Your first report of injury is of great concern to the insurance company. Here are some of the issues that may arise due to medical records.
• The discrepancy between your medical history and the report you gave about the accident. You should make sure your story is consistent. If you tell your employer that your injuries resulted in a certain way, and then you tell your doctor about the injury in a different way, your workers’ compensation may be denied.
• Your medical results reveal you had illegal drugs in your system. The insurance company will automatically deny your claim.
• Refusing to sign medical authorizations. This is where the help of a qualified lawyer comes into play.  If the insurance company asks you to sign the medical authorization, don’t do it without the help of your lawyer. Again, the insurance company may request you to provide a recorded statement of the accident. Giving a recorded statement without a lawyer won’t help you. It’s wise not to give anything until you get advice from your lawyer.

  

• You should report your injury as soon as it happens: Insurance companies don’t like injury cases that take too long to be reported. They assume that you failed to report because you never suffered severe injuries. You should report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. According to the Alaska Department of Labor, notice of the work-related injury should be provided in writing within 30 days. Make sure to keep these records as they will be used while pursuing a claim and help you have a better chance of getting what you deserve. Sometimes employees delay filing their claims until they get laid off. There is no reason to wait if you have a legitimate injury or illness stemming from the workplace. You will have a hard time trying to convince the workers’ compensation judge that your injuries are work-related.
• Have witnesses: Workers’ compensation insurers will always ask for witnesses. Perhaps you got injured at the workplace, and no one was there to witness. This is common. To be on the safer side, you should report that accident immediately to your colleagues or your supervisor. Be sure to tell them exactly what happened and how your injury occurred.

If the insurance company agrees to pay for your benefits, you may be eligible to receive medical benefits, reemployment benefits and disability benefits. It’s worth noting that if you have experienced injuries in the course of your employment and the cause was due to your willful intent to injure: the benefits may not be payable. If your workers’ compensation claim has been denied, you don’t have to do away with your claim. Consider looking for a good lawyer who will help you get benefits. You will have lost your time off work, and the fight to get back your lost wages will not be easy. Why not have legal experts fight for you?

Getting Help from an Experienced Lawyer

If you have questions or trouble getting what you deserve under the workers’ compensation benefits, consider talking to an experienced lawyer. A lawyer will ensure you report your injures within the set limit so as not to lose your right to receive the benefits. If your insurer denied you the benefits you deserve, your lawyer will ensure that you file a workers’ compensation claim within two years. He/she will advise you whether your injuries or illness qualify for the compensatory benefits.