The only thing that hurts more than the actual work injury is doing something during the course of filing your injury claim that leaves you susceptible to a denial. People make mistakes all the time, but when they screw up key aspects of their injury claim, these mistakes can be incredibly costly.
Luckily, if you’re aware of some of the most common pitfalls, you can take steps to avoid some of these mistakes. Below, we take a closer look at five ways people unknowingly hurt their own workers’ compensation cases, and how to avoid these issues.
Work Comp Mistakes To Avoid
Here’s a look at some of the ways people unknowingly make it harder on themselves to earn an injury compensation award.
1. Not Reporting Their Injury Right Away – Some people are so focused on their health or returning to work that they don’t take the time to formally report their injury to management. There needs to be an official record of injury from your company in order to have a valid work claim, and the longer you wait, the harder it can be to prove that your injuries happened on the clock as you say they did. Wait too long, and you’ll miss the 10-day reporting window altogether. Don’t give the insurance company reason to doubt the validity of your claim because you didn’t report your injuries right away.
2. Not Seeing A Doctor Right Away – Similarly, some people wait to see how they feel before they head in to be evaluated by a doctor after a work injury. The longer you wait, the more red flags the insurance company sees. Your medical expenses will be covered for any valid claim, so don’t shy away from seeking out care for a work injury because you don’t want to pay a medical bill. Failing to seek out medical care soon after the accident can make it much harder for you to prove your injuries occurred as you say they did.
3. Assuming They’ll Remember – A work accident can be a pretty traumatic event, and many people assume they’ll be able to remember key details easily. However, this trauma can actually serve to impact our recollection of an event, and our memories tend to fade as time goes on. The insurance company is going to want a clear version of what transpired, and if you’re changing details or you can’t remember key aspects, it can cause trouble for your claim. Write down your version of events shortly after the accident, get contact information from witnesses and consider journaling symptoms and pain levels each day so that you have a hard copy reference to lean on.
4. Oversharing – There are people you can be open and honest with throughout the course of your injury claim, and there are other times when it’s best to hold your cards closer to your chest. You can be an open book to your doctor and your lawyer, but that’s it. Don’t overshare aspects of the case to your employer, the insurance company or on social media. Oversharing can complicate your case or lead to discrepancies that cause your claim to be denied.
5. Returning To Work Too Soon – We know that you’re interested in getting back to work, and we want you to get there too, but returning before you’ve been cleared by your physician can lead to worsening injuries or a setback in your care. Don’t be pressured into returning to work by your coworkers or management. Stick to the advice you receive from your treating surgeon and follow their instructions if you’ve been given light duty requirements or restrictions.
Let the team at Hey Workers help you navigate life after an injury so that you don’t unknowingly hurt your injury claim. For more information on how we can assist with this process, or for answers to any questions you have about starting a workers’ compensation claim, connect with the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
