Experiencing an injury at work can be devastating. If an injury is severe enough, it could prevent an employee from working. This could cause a number of issues starting with lost wages and unemployment. Employees who are injured on the job may be eligible for worker’s compensation.
Workers’ compensation provides eligible injured workers with healthcare and lost wage benefits. Injured workers must apply for their benefits. However, there is the possibility that a workers’ comp claim is denied. Here is what you should know:
4 common reasons for worker’s comp claim denials
A worker’s comp claim denial can prevent an injured employee from receiving necessary benefits that would help them recover from their injury and sustain a living. There are a few common reasons a claim would be denied:
- Statute of limitation: In New Hampshire, injured employees must report their injury to their employer within the statute of limitation. An employee has two years to report their injury and three years to file and claim benefits. Missing any of these deadlines could lead to a denial.
- Non-workplace injury: Injured workers would only be eligible for workers’ comp benefits if their injury happened while they were working. Injuries that happen outside of work can lead to a denial.
- Missing medical report: Injured employees often need medical evidence that their injury is serious and prevents them from working. Some employers require employees to seek a verified workers’ comp medical practice to make a report.
- Bad Faith: A denial may not be an employee’s mistake. An employer or insurance company may, simply put, not willingly give an employer workers’ comp benefits because they prioritize their bottom line over fairness.
It is often important that injured employees dispute denied workers’ comp claims so that they receive their benefits as early as possible.