Workers’ compensation benefits protect employees from medical issues that may affect their work capabilities and finances. Most employers in Missouri and Illinois are subject to workers’ compensation requirements.
Therefore, most employees are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they get hurt on the job or a doctor diagnoses them with a medical condition directly caused by their job functions. While most workers may be eligible, mistakes that they make while filing a claim could potentially impact their ability to secure or retain benefits.
The five mistakes below are among the most common reasons that workers face claim denials, limited benefits and other disputes about workers’ compensation.
1. Delayed reporting
Reporting an injury or diagnosis to an employer promptly is critical. Workers in Illinois have 45 days to report an injury to their employers, while Missouri employees have 30 days to notify their employers. Waiting any longer could mean the loss of eligibility for benefits.
2. Skipping medical care
Even if a worker reports an incident to their manager, they also typically need to see a medical professional to validate their injuries. Especially if their symptoms worsen and they later see a doctor, the gap between the incident that may have injured them and their actual diagnosis can raise questions about whether their medical condition is actually the result of their employment.
3. Ignoring medical recommendations
Physicians overseeing workers’ compensation treatment plans may recommend medication, physical therapy or even surgery. Patients must comply with the treatment plan. The failure to do so may leave them at risk of a denied claim or a premature termination of their workers’ compensation benefits.
4. Failing to request accommodations
Doctors often impose restrictions on workers’ job functions because of their injuries. There may be limitations on their lifting or a requirement to move to light-duty job functions temporarily. Failing to advise an employer of those restrictions and adhere to them carefully can undermine a worker’s claim for benefits and worsen their medical condition.
5. Posting on social media
Injuries may be visually dramatic, which could prompt numerous comments and interactions on social media. While that positive community feedback can feel helpful for an injured professional, talking about a work injury can potentially cause benefit complications later if there is a dispute. Any posting at all on social media could theoretically affect a worker’s eligibility for benefits.
Retaining the support of a workers’ compensation attorney can make a major difference for professionals injured at work and in need of health coverage or disability benefits. Workers who learn from the mistakes of others can optimize the benefits they receive and minimize the complications they may otherwise face during a claim.