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Three Mistakes You Should Avoid After A Workplace Injury To Protect Your Workers' Compensation Benefits

If you have been injured on the job, you may need to file for workers' compensation benefits. Most people can file workers' compensation on their own without the aid of an attorney, but the following are a few traps that you need to avoid. This will help decrease the chances of your application being rejected or not getting the full benefits you require.

You didn't report the injury

Insurance companies will routinely deny benefits because an employee failed to report the accident in a timely manner. The longer you wait to report an injury, the better the chance your application will be denied. An insurance company will simply assume that your injury took place on your own time and had nothing to do with a workplace injury. Of course, at this point, you will need to hire an attorney. But by not reporting the injury in a timely manner, you are making it difficult for an attorney to fight for your benefits. At the very least you should mention an injury to a coworker, but it is better to report it to your supervisor. This is true even when the injury doesn't seem significant.

You delay in filing your claim

This is something that should not be put off. The process is easy. You only need to request a form from the human resources department. Depending upon the size of your employer, you may only need to ask your supervisor. The form is straightforward, and only a portion of it will be filled out by you. The rest of it will be filled out by your employer. It is your employer who files the claim. Since the process is easy, there is no reason to delay, and any delay can help the insurance company deny your claim.

You accept the findings of the doctors

One of the problems you will run into is with doctors. It is often the case that when you need to seek physical therapy or surgeries, you will run into a wall with the doctor. Many insurance companies require an employer to use one of their pre-approved doctors. These doctors have a tendency to favor the insurance companies. It is possible that an unbiased doctor may have different findings about your condition. If you believe you are not being diagnosed properly, you should not accept a doctor's decision. Instead, you should contact an attorney for help.

If you are injured on the job make sure to inform your employer immediately, file your claim promptly, and do not take the insurance company's approved doctor as the final opinion. If at any point you are having problems, contact a workers' comp attorney.