Maybe you got hurt during a dramatic equipment failure at an industrial facility, or maybe your doctor diagnosed you with a work-related medical issue, like a herniated disc. You expected claiming workers’ compensation to be a simple and straightforward process. You informed your employer of the issue and filled out the necessary paperwork.
Unfortunately, you didn’t get benefits right away. Instead, you face the denial of your claim. What steps do you need to take next?
You need to acknowledge the importance of support
Maybe you made a mistake with the paperwork before, or perhaps you simply didn’t understand what kind of evidence you need to prove that your condition is a result of your job. It can be very difficult to manage a complicated claim on your own, especially while you are in the middle of physically recovering from your injury or preparing for treatment like surgery.
Having a lawyer assist with your claim will help you avoid repeating the same mistakes and will give you the freedom to focus on your healing rather than on the minutiae of the claims process.
You need to act quickly
It is very easy to put off talking to a lawyer or submitting paperwork to an insurance company. However, delays after a denied claim could drastically limit your rights. You typically only have 20 days after a claim denial to initiate the appeals process. Simply put, you do not have any time to waste and will need to act quickly to get the benefits you require.
You must gather the necessary evidence
You may need testimony from your coworkers about how you got hurt or a more thorough medical evaluation that explains exactly how the injury will limit your ability to perform your job.
Gathering evidence to support your claim will be a crucial step as you prepare for your upcoming appeal. As with the submission of paperwork, this process is often simpler when you have a lawyer guiding you and advising you about how to gather the evidence you need and what kinds of evidence will best help your appeal.
Realizing that quick action is necessary can help those appealing a denied workers’ compensation claim finally secure the benefits they require.