Following a mishap at work in Cedar Rapids, you are probably grappling with serious injuries and financial issues. Depending on the circumstances, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. In the ideal world, it would be okay to assume that the insurance company will check the validity of your claim and pay money for your losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. However, insurance companies only care for premiums and nothing else. If you need help with workers’ comp in Cedar Rapids, consider talking to an attorney. In this post, we are sharing the typical reasons why workers’ compensation claims are denied.
- The employee-employer relationship is disputed. If your employer says that you were not working for them, this would automatically dispute the employee-employer relationship, which is the crux of your claim. This could happen in situations where the employer claims that the person seeking compensation is actually an independent contractor and not an employee.
- The insurance company claims that you have a pre-existing condition. While this shouldn’t be the only reason to deny a claim, the claims adjuster may want to trick you. Even if you had a pre-existing condition, you could seek compensation if your work or activities at work has worsened or revealed the condition. Talk to your lawyer to know whether you can take further action, as a lot depends on the opinion of the doctors treating you.
- The injury is not related to your work. It’s a common myth that workers’ compensation insurance covers all types of injuries at work. For instance, if you suffered a fracture in a fall accident while having food at the cafeteria, it is not technically related to your work profile, and therefore, the insurance company could deny your claim.
- You failed to report the injury. As per Iowa Workers’ Compensation laws, an injured worker must notify the employer of the injury/mishap within 90 days of the accident’s date. If you failed to adhere to this aspect, the insurance company could use this as a reason to deny your claim.
Just because your workers’ compensation claim has been denied doesn’t mean you are out of your legal options. Consider talking to an experienced attorney immediately after the work injury so that they can guide you on the process and how you can avoid mistakes related to filing a workers’ compensation claim. Most lawyers would be happy to work on a contingency fee.
