Common Mistakes When Filing a Claim
Have you been injured while on duty recently? If you have found yourself injured at your place of work, you could be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. In California, every employee has the right to file a workers’ compensation claim. Yet, it can be a frustrating process that can be hard to navigate if you don’t know what you are doing. In America alone, it is approximated that there are 2.8 people injured per 100 workers each year.
With how confusing filing a workers’ compensation claim can be, many people make common mistakes. If you would like to avoid making mistakes when filing your claim, you should consider hiring an El Monte work injury lawyer. To help you establish what mistakes you shouldn’t make, we have discussed a few of the most common mistakes often made.
Three Common Mistakes People Make When Filing A Workers’ Compensation Claim
There are many mistakes that lawyers and workers’ compensation administration employees see regularly. Yet, three major mistakes are considered to be some of the most common. Once you have learned what these mistakes are, you can make sure you don’t make them when filing your workers’ compensation claim.
1. Failing To Report The Work Injury
Perhaps the biggest mistake an injured person can make is to not report their workplace injury. If you don’t report your injury and have a record of it, you will face many obstacles when filing a workers’ compensation claim. You also shouldn’t choose not to report your injury because you don’t believe you have a valid claim.
Additionally, suppose you don’t report your injury immediately and wait. In that case, you could run out of time, as the California statute states that employees have one year to file a valid workers’ compensation claim. Moreover, be sure to fill out the correct forms when you report your workplace injury, as if you file the wrong forms, you will have a higher chance of your claim for benefits being denied.
2. Avoiding Medical Care
Although it may seem incredibly hard to believe, there are many workers who avoid or choose not to seek medical care for their work injuries. This is one of the worst mistakes you can make, as it will drastically affect how successful you are in attaining workers’ compensation benefits.
When you file your workers’ compensation claim, you will need to provide a complete record of the medical treatment you received for the workplace injuries you sustained. This will help the workers’ compensation administration determine if you are eligible for benefits. If you never sought care immediately, it might appear that you don’t need benefits because you never sustained injuries from an accident at work.
Additionally, those who seek medical care should also follow their doctor’s prescribed treatment plan. If it is discovered that a person seeking benefits disregards their doctor’s advice, it could negatively affect how their claim is seen and result in benefits being denied.
3. Filling Documentation Without Conferring With An Attorney
It is not mandatory for you to confer with a workers’ compensation attorney before or while undertaking the workers’ compensation claims process. However, it is advised, as many people make mistakes when filling out the documentation or when going to file their documentation. A lawyer offers assistance with these two aspects.
If an attorney helps you fill out your documentation and file it, you will know it is done properly with all the correct paperwork and evidence. An attorney also won’t omit sections that are needed, and they will file them on time.
Contact A California Workers’ Compensation Lawyer For Assistance Filing A Workers’ Compensation Claim
Workplace injuries range from minor to significant and can leave a person with lifelong difficulties. You deserve to receive compensation for the injuries you sustained while at work. That’s why it’s crucial to avoid making mistakes when filing your claim. If you avoid making these mistakes with the assistance of an El Monte workers’ compensation attorney, your claim is less likely to be declined.
