Posts made in February 2020

Getting Help When Injured on the Job

Sustaining an injury or illness while at work can be a harrowing experience. While you may be entitled to workers’ compensation, an ugly truth of the matter is that a complicated claims process may be blocking you from obtaining it.

A prevailing assumption about filing an injury claim is that worker’s compensation insurers care more about forms than helping people. However, by working with a workplace injury lawyer in Portland, you can file your claim confidently.

One of the most essential things about workers’ compensation is that claims must be filed quickly. In the state of Oregon, employers must submit a Form 801 to their insurer within five days of the injury’s occurrence. As a result, filing a claim can seem like a time-sensitive process – especially if you are in the middle of recovering from an accident or sickness.

If you become injured on the job, then it’s crucial to take action. First, report the injury to your supervisor. Then, seek medical attention. When explaining your situation to both your supervisor and the medical staff, make sure you tell them the same account of events.

A leading cause of claim rejections is inconsistent information. Keep any documentation you get from your employer, medical care provider, and insurer. When it’s time to fill out your Form 801, go over it with a workplace injury lawyer. A lawyer can help you go over the form to make sure it is complete and accurate. They can also guide you through the claims process to make sure it proceeds as smoothly as possible.

Why Workers’ Compensation Claims are Denied

Workers Compensation Attorney in Salem, OregonWorkers’ compensation is supposed to help you return to a sense of normalcy after an injury or accident. An unfortunate fact of the matter is that claims for compensation can be denied. Getting denied can be frustrating and bewildering. While your workers’ compensation attorney in Salem, Oregon, can help you challenge the decision, it is vital that you understand the factors that may have resulted in the situation in the first place.

  • Workers’ compensation is generally furnished through an insurance company, which also processes the claims. A few of the leading reasons why claims are denied is because:
  • The Injury Was Unwitnessed – If the insurer cannot verify that you were injured on the job site, they are already skeptical of the claim. Should you get hurt on the job and no one is around, be sure to report the incident to your coworkers and supervisor as soon as possible.
  • The Injury Was Not a Reported Injury – Insurers do not like cases that go unreported until long after the incident has occurred – even if you waited until the following morning to take action.
  • Initial Medical Records Show Illegal Substances in the Claimant’s System – Having drugs or alcohol in your system at the time of your post-accident medical assessment is a surefire way to get a claim denied. Drugs in the system imply the accident was caused more by individual error than an inherent danger at the worksite. Insurers seldom voluntarily cover these situations.

While getting a denied claim can be devastating, that does not mean you are out of options. By working with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney, it is possible to steer your case towards the best possible outcome.