It is possible for some issues to arise that can either delay approval or keep you from receiving your benefits.
Workers compensation can give some financial relief to injured workers. When the medical bills are piling up, you need to know you can cover them.
But even if the law says you are entitled to these benefits, it’s also possible for some issues to appear that can either delay approval or keep you from receiving the actual benefits. Here are five potential issues that could cause your payment delays.
1. Further Investigations
If they have reason to suspect your condition changed or improved, which would cause the workers’ compensation benefits to stop, it’s likely for them to delay making the payments until they can re-evaluate your case.
Even if you’re in the midst of receiving workers comp benefits, and you got the payments in the previous months, it doesn’t necessarily mean the insurance company will stop reviewing your case.
2. One Piece of Paper
Workers compensation is the epitome of bureaucracy, and you’ll need to provide a lot of paperwork recurrently. One missing form or a tiny mistake on a medical bill could delay the entire process.
It’s why you should consult with a St. Louis workers compensation lawyer at this time. The insurance company is not likely to keep sending the benefits if your file is incomplete and wait for you to send the missing documents or correct the mistakes.
3. Your Employer Did Not Inform the Insurance Company
As you have to inform your employer of your injury in a timely manner, so does the employer, except they have to report it to the insurance company that will ultimately make the payments.
However, if your employer did not tell the insurance company of your claim, that could potentially delay the entire process. Technically, your employer’s mistake should not affect the timeline of your claim, but the reality sometimes paints a different picture.
4. Your Claim Was Denied, but You Were Not Informed
If the workers’ compensation claim is denied, then you should receive official notice from the insurance company or your employer. Yet, mistakes can still happen, and this small oversight could potentially have you waiting pointlessly for benefits that have been denied.
5. You Did Not Hire a Lawyer
While you are not required to hire a lawyer to file a workers compensation claim, it’s in your best interest to do it. An experienced St. Louis work injury lawyer can overview the entire process and ensure that all the pieces of the puzzle are in place.
And it’s not just you who could potentially make a mistake that can delay payments. The employer and the insurance company can also affect the timeline of the claim, intentionally or not, but a lawyer will keep things on track.