Workers Compensation Claims: An Untimely Claim Could Cost You Dearly

Two of the biggest problems workers can face when filing workers compensation claims and sorting out what benefits they may be entitled to is; being aware of all the strict guidelines and regulations laid out when filing a claim and being able to follow them in the correct manner. Failure to comply with these guidelines can have serious consequences for your claim. It could slow down the whole process or even worse, you may find your claim being denied. It is important that you contact the HR department of your workplace and ask them for the details about the insurance scheme that your employer has opted for. A claim for compensation could be thrown out for numerous reasons so don't lose out, read on as at least the basic knowledge could help save your claim.

Something that most workers are probably totally unaware of is that not every workers compensation plan will cover all workers in a company. There are plans that have a definition of what they deem a "worker" entitled to make a claim is. This will normally take the form as "full time" worker. This means that those classed as part time, freelance, or contract workers could find that they cannot make a compensation claim through their employer's scheme. If you should become injured at work and are not classified as a "full time" worker there are procedures you can go through to make a claim but these would be outside the companies plan.

Another important factor that most workers may be unaware of is that there are strict time limits for filing a compensation claim. Now these time limits will most likely vary from State to State. So always keep in mind that an open- ended claim does not exist. Should you become the victim of an injury in the workplace and want to file a worker's compensation claim the first thing you must do is to inform your employer as soon as humanly possible. Also inform the insurance company to ensure that your claim is lodged following the guidelines set out in the insurer's policies and procedures. Only under certain circumstances and conditions can an extension to the time limit be granted. It is recommended that you engage a personal injury lawyer as quickly as you can so that your claim can be filed in a timely manner.

Now although this should be obvious to any worker it is still worth a mention. A company's insurer will take every step open to them spending a lot of time and money trying to find reasons for a claim to be dismissed. There is a good chance that your claim will be dismissed if after the investigation it was found out that;

• There was negligence on your part on health and safety rules.
• You were the cause of an accident or injury in the workplace.
• You filed your claim late.
• You ignored the doctor's advice.
• Or in some way disregarded the company rules.

Workers compensation claims can be complicated and if you waste time or fail to comply with the regulations, you could find yourself in all sorts of financial problems.