If you sustain an injury while at work or while advancing your employer’s interests, you may be eligible for compensation for the resulting economic and non-economic injuries. If you believe your injury is work-related, it can come as a shock if your benefits are denied. Unfortunately, many hardworking Floridians experience this from time to time.
A denied workers’ compensation claim can leave you stranded with costly medical bills, lost income and other expenses. If your benefits are denied, you need to know what went wrong so you can figure out your next cause of action.
Here are three reasons why most workers’ compensation benefits fall through the cracks.
When the evidence doesn’t add up
Workers’ compensation benefits are meant to compensate for work-related injuries and illnesses. Thus, there has to be a direct link between your injuries or illness and your work. If your employer’s insurance carrier cannot link your injuries to the workplace accident, then they will most likely dispute and deny your claim.
When you fail to seek treatment
It’s important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible following a workplace injury. Failing to do so can hurt your claim in a number of ways. First, without a clear diagnosis of your injury or illness, it will be difficult to prove that they were work-related. And, secondly, failing to seek treatment means that the insurance company will not be able to establish the extent of your injuries and, thus, fair compensation.
When you miss crucial deadlines
If you are hurt at work, Florida workers’ compensation laws require that you report your injuries within 30 days. The same laws also require that you file your workers’ comp benefits within two years from your injuries or when you reasonably discover your work-related illness. Missing these timelines can result in a refusal on technical grounds.
A workplace injury can leave you devastated. Learning more about Florida workers’ compensation laws can help you avoid costly pitfalls while pursuing the benefits you are entitled to following a work-related injury or illness.