My Boss Isn't Being Helpful About Workers Compensation. What Can I Do?

The nature of workers' compensation insurance is designed to make it as easy as possible for employees who are injured on the job to get a means of paying for their healthcare costs. Because this insurance also limits the possibility of employees suing their employers for an accident at work, it also serves the best interests of employers who might otherwise spend a fortune on such claims.

However, this doesn't mean that claiming workers' compensation is always going to be a straightforward affair. Occasionally, employers will fight back when employees try to claim compensation. However, this doesn't mean it's the end of the road for you.

Why Would Employers Turn Down a Claim?

According to some experts, the amount of money that's lost each year to workers' compensation fraud is in the tens of billions of dollars. For employers, this is a worrying statistic because submitting many claims can result in an increase in their insurance rates. One-too-many incidents also make it seem like their workplace is unsafe.

Because of all this, many employers will want to be sure that any claim submitted fits the right criteria to receive compensation.

Reasons Given for Refusal of Claims

There are only a limited number of reasons why an employer can deny you workers compensation. Three of the most commonly cited reasons are:

• You missed a deadline: There is a time period within which an accident must be reported, and there's also period within which the workers' compensation must be claimed. If you miss these deadlines, your claim will not be honored.

• The injury wasn't work-related: Under the terms of workers' compensation insurance, you can only be compensated if the injury occurred at your place of work, and it should also have been sustained in the course of doing your work. Employers can claim that you didn't get the injury at work or you sustained the injury while being involved in some kind of workplace misconduct.

• Your condition doesn't meet the guidelines: Some employers can also argue that your injuries aren't severe enough to meet the guidelines set by the state.

Fighting Back When Your Claim is Refused

The most important step you can take when your claim has been refused is to hire a workers compensation attorney. An attorney will be able to guide you on how to proceed in case you have to go to court. They will also tell you what documents you should have ready.

For more information, contact a local law firm like Galanti Law Office. 

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