A workplace injury or illness can wreak havoc on your life and personal finances. Workers’ compensation benefits are available and can help you meet your expenses during this difficult time. But there are actions and inactions that can impact the amount of compensation you receive as well as how quickly you receive this compensation. For example, the following five “failures” are common in workers’ compensation cases and can significantly impact your claim:
- Failing to Inform Your Supervisor
The law requires that you provide timely notice to your employer and/or immediate supervisor after a workplace accident or illness has occurred. This gives your employer the opportunity to notify its workers’ compensation insurance company and alert the insurer that your claim will be presented soon. Failing to provide notification to your employer that you have been injured or become ill while on the job can be used to later deny your claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
- Failing to Seek Medical Treatment
It is always a good idea to seek out medical treatment if you believe you have been injured on the job or become ill while working. If you delay in seeking medical treatment (even by a few hours), you may find it significantly more difficult to prove your injuries are work-related. Do yourself–and your future workers’ compensation claim–a favor: as soon as you have been injured or become ill due to a work-related accident or condition, inform your supervisor and then seek medical treatment.
- Failing to Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
Failing to follow your doctor’s orders can be as damaging to your claim for workers’ compensation benefits as if you had failed to seek medical evaluation and treatment in the first place. Failing to follow your treatment plan communicates either (1) your injuries are not as serious as you claim them to be or (2) you contributed in some way to the severity of your injuries by not following reasonable treatment directions. Your claim for workers’ compensation benefits can be negatively impacted as a result.
- Failing to Timely Respond to Legitimate Requests from Your Employer’s Insurer
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer is entitled to request certain information from you regarding the circumstances of your accident. In addition, the insurance company may also request that you submit to a medical evaluation by a doctor of its own choosing to validate the conditions for which you are seeking compensation. Failing to respond in a timely manner to these legitimate requests can delay the payment of your benefits or can result in the outright denial of your benefits altogether. If you are uncertain as to whether a specific request from your employer’s insurer is legitimate, speak with an experienced Greenville workers’ compensation lawyer.
- Failing to Seek Legal Assistance
You do not need to be represented by an attorney in order to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. That being said, an attorney’s assistance can be invaluable in guiding you through the claims process and representing your interests if your claim is initially delayed or denied.
The South Carolina workers’ compensation lawyers at David R. Price, Jr., P.A. represents claimants seeking benefits and compensation for work-related injuries and illnesses. Contact the law office of David R. Price, Jr., P.A. by calling (864) 271-2636 to have your case reviewed by one of our knowledgeable and dedicated attorneys.