A workplace accident can leave you with severe injuries that make it difficult to live your normal life. This harm can knock you out of work, resulting in lost wages, thereby making it difficult to pay for the medical care that you need while also covering your other living expenses. This can leave you stressed about how to navigate the road to recovery without facing serious issues like the threat of foreclosure, eviction or vehicle repossession. Fortunately, a successful workers’ compensation claim may provide you with needed relief to stabilize your finances while you get back on your feet.
That said, your employer’s insurance company isn’t automatically going to fork over the funds you think you need. In many instances, in fact, the insurance company scours the claim in question to try to find a justification to deny the claim altogether. Therefore, before proceeding with your workers’ compensation case, you need to make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row. This includes knowing what sort of errors to avoid.
Don’t make these mistakes in your workers’ compensation case
There are several errors that can be made when dealing with a workers’ compensation claim, any one of which could jeopardize the validity of your case. Here are five of the top mistakes that you’ll want to avoid when seeking workers’ compensation benefits:
- Waiting too long to report your injuries: Far too many workers try to tough out their workplace injuries, thinking that the reporting process is more hassle than it’s worth. But the truth is that your injuries may be more severe and longer lasting than you think. If you hold off on reporting your injuries until your condition worsens, though, it might be too late to pursue the benefits that you need.
- Failing to follow your doctor’s recommendations: When seeking workers’ compensation benefits, you need to portray a clear picture of the injuries that you’ve suffered. One of the best ways to do this is by following your doctor’s treatment recommendations. But if you skip recommendations, then you’ll miss out on creating the medical record that’s oftentimes needed to firmly establish one’s condition, prognosis and need for ongoing care. This will leave you with only your word, which may not carry as much weight as you’d hope in your workers’ compensation case.
- Neglecting to obtain witness statements: The insurance company may try to blame you for your own workplace injuries. To counter these arguments, you need statements or testimony from witnesses who saw the accident in question. If you don’t have witness account to back up your assertions, then you may be facing an uphill battle to secure the benefits you want.
- Engaging in activities that are counter to your claimed injuries: There’s a chance that the insurance company will be closely watching your actions after being injured on the job. If they catch you doing something that seems beyond your abilities due to your claimed injuries, then they’re going to use that evidence against you to argue that you’re exaggerating the harm that’s been caused to you.
- Accepting a low settlement offer: Many insurance companies want to resolve workers’ compensation claims quickly so that they can capitalize on an injured workers’ anxiety and fear. But accepting the first offer could be a mistake, as it could fall well short of what you truly need to offset your lost wages and cover your medical expenses.
Confidently navigate your workers’ compensation claim
The outcome of your workers’ compensation case can have a profound impact on your recovery. While the process can seem daunting, you should learn as much as you can about it so that you can confidently and competently build the aggressive legal arguments needed to position yourself for a favorable outcome. While there’s no guarantee that your claim will turn out one way or another, diligently working to build your case can maximize your chances of securing the benefits that you deserve.
