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Can your workers’ compensation claim be denied?

Aug 18, 2022 | Workers' Compensation

An accident happened at work resulting in your injury. Consequently, you sought treatment and took time off work to heal. At this time, you should be receiving workers’ compensation benefits. And most often, this is exactly what happens. Unfortunately, there are instances when your employer and the workers’ comp carrier may deny your claim.

A variety of reasons can result in the denial of your workers’ compensation claim. It could be due to a simple mistake. In other instances, the denial could be occasioned by something more complex that requires substantial legal heavy lifting to fix. If your workers’ comp is denied, you need to understand why this happened.

Here are two questions that may help you understand why:

Was your injury not work-related?

Your injuries or condition must be directly related to your work to be eligible for workers’ comp benefits. Meaning that you must have sustained the injury or contracted the illness in the course of your job.

For instance, if you get struck by a flying object while working at a construction site, you will likely to eligible for compensation. Also, if the injury happened if you were away from your workplace (say at a company’s team building event), then you may have a case.

However, if you slipped and twisted your wrist at home or in a non-work-related incident, then you cannot claim workers’ compensation for this.

Did you overlook important deadlines?

Every state has a specific timeline within which an injured employee can file a workers’ compensation claim. In Pennsylvania, you have 21 days to notify your employer about your work-related injuries and three years to file your claim. It is extremely important that you take these timelines seriously.

If you are hurt at work, it is important that you understand your rights and responsibilities while pursuing the compensation you need.

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