While there are some insurance companies that respond quickly to workers’ compensation claims and begin settling them immediately, other cheeky insurers try employing various tactics to delay the processing of the worker’s comp claim. Due to this late payment of compensation claims, the injured workers end up struggling with receiving the necessary medical treatment or settling costly medical bills that threaten their financial security.
However, by consulting with any of our Phoenix Workers’ Compensation Attorneys you will be assured of receiving your workers’ comp claim quickly. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the common workers’ comp delay tactics and how to deal with them effectively.
What Are the Reasons for Delays in Workers’ Comp Claims?
Employers are required to provide their employees with worker’s compensation benefits when they are involved in work-related injuries. However, when they fail to approve the employees’ comp claims, they are violating the workers’ compensation rights. Below are some of the main reasons why your workers’ comp claims may be delayed:
- You Delayed or Made Mistakes While Filing your Work Injury Claim
When you are involved in a work-related injury, you should report the incident to your employer as soon as it happens. Delaying to report a work injury claim can question the eligibility of the claim and give the insurance company an opportunity to claim that your injuries are not work-related.
Additionally, any mistakes made when filling your workers’ comp claim can delay the settlement process. Thus, it is important to ensure that your comp paperwork is filed incorrectly.
- Delays from Your Employer
In some cases, your employer may delay approving your work injury claim due to ignorance, negligence, or poor communication between supervisors. For such a situation, it is advisable to consult with a work injury attorney.
- Delays from your Employer’s Insurer
Once you report the work injury claim to your employer, they are required to notify their worker’s compensation insurer to settle the claim. However, the insurance company may delay your comp claim if they take more time to validate your claim, or require more time to check on errors made in the paperwork. Your comp claim might also be delayed if the insurer is understaffed and handling several claims.
- Your Physician Made Some Mistakes in Their Medical Examination or Report
While a physician’s report is needed in supporting your work injury claim, any mistake by the physician during diagnosis or treatment can lead to the delay or possible rejection of your workers’ compensation claim.
- Other Common reasons
There are also other reasons that could delay your work injury comp claim such as:
- Losing a workers’ comp claim form
- Reckless or negligent handling of the claim
- Failure to submit the claim form to the appropriate entity
- Failure to follow the appropriate work-related injury reporting procedures
If you are physically hurt while performing work-related duties, it is your right to file for a workers’ compensation claim from your employer. If they fail or delay to honor this claim, you should contact any of our Phoenix Workers’ Compensation attorneys for a passionate and competent legal representation.
