Most people assume they are going to be safe at work when they leave home in the morning; however, an accident can happen in the workplace at any time. If someone suffers a serious injury at work, they could be eligible for a workers’ compensation claim. By working with an Iowa workers compensation lawyer, there are avenues for financial compensation that can help individuals make ends meet during the recovery process. On the other hand, there is a chance that a workers’ compensation claim could be denied. There are a few common reasons why this claim could be turned down.
Missed Deadlines To File a Claim
Insurance companies and employers are going to look for any possible reason to turn down a workers’ compensation claim because this saves them money. At the same time, their reasoning has to be valid according to the law. One of the most common reasons involves missed deadlines. In order for someone to receive workers’ compensation benefits, the injury or illness has to be reported to the employer as quickly as possible. After this, the employee has to file a workers’ compensation claim. There are different time limits for reporting these claims from state to state. If the deadlines are missed, there is a high likelihood that the claim will be denied.
Disputes Regarding the Circumstances of the Injury
Even though an employee may claim that the injury was related to his or her occupation, the employer might disagree. The employer could also claim that the employee was involved in some sort of misconduct that led to the accident. Finally, some employers might even claim that the injury stems from a pre-existing medical condition and is not the fault of the employer. Regardless, if the employer decides to dispute the workers’ compensation case, then the employee will have to gather evidence in order to support the claim. This is where working with a legal professional who has a lot of experience in the area of workers’ compensation is critical.
The Claim Was Filed After Leaving the Job
Finally, claims can also be denied if the injury was sustained after the employee left his or her job. If this is the case, there could be special rules that pertain to filing workers’ compensation claims after the period of employment has ended. If this is the case, a legal professional can help an employee protect his or her rights under workers’ compensation law.