Illinois workers get injured on the job every day. If an injury happens to you, it can be scary to think about your future. Dealing with your monthly bills and paying your medical costs can be possible with workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, there are many different reasons that your claim may be denied.
Unwitnessed injury
When you file your workers’ compensation case and there was no witness to the events that caused your injury, you may face a denial of your claim. Insurance companies want evidence that corroborates your story of the events. It’s vital that you tell your co-workers and supervisors when your injury happens so they can see the injury and the circumstances that caused it.
Not reporting the injury right away
If you don’t report your injury until days later, it’s likely that your claim will initially be denied. Most insurance companies take on the mindset that if you didn’t report the injury when it happened, it must not have been serious. In addition, each state has its own laws regarding the statute of limitations defining how long an employee has to report an injury before they give up their workers’ compensation benefits. In most states, this time frame is 7 days.
Illegal drug use
In the event your records show that you had toxicity levels of an illegal substance in your system, then your workers’ compensation claim will be denied. Illegal drugs indicate that you were intoxicated at the time of treatment. This makes it a fair assumption that you were intoxicated when the injury happened and that intoxication was the likely reason you were injured on the job.
Filing a workers’ compensation claim is only half of the battle. Getting the claim past the initial denial stage is where things get tricky. If you’ve experienced any of the events above, it’s possible that your claim will be denied. Your best recourse is probably consulting an attorney.
