An accident has happened at work, and you have suffered injuries. Fortunately, your employer has a workers’ compensation insurance coverage that extends protections to you as their employee if you get hurt on the job. Fair enough. However, it is important to understand that just because you are hurt does not mean that you will automatically receive compensation for your injuries.
Workers’ compensation can be denied for many reasons. These can include mistakes made by the injured worker during the claims process or for reasons beyond their control. Here are some of the reasons why your workers’ compensation claim may be denied.
If the injury did not happen at the workplace
The following conditions must be met to be eligible for a workers’ compensation claim:
- The injury must have happened while performing your work duties
- The injury must be directly related to your employment
The second condition refers to what is known as “major contributing cause,” which you must prove during your claim. In other words, you must prove that your employment was at least 50% responsible for your injury.
It’s likely that your workers’ compensation will be denied if the injury happened outside of work, say while you were on break.
If you fail to notify your employer of the injury in time
There are specific time limits within which you must report your injury to the employer. In Missouri, you have 30 days from the date you are hurt to notify your employer of the injury. The injury notice must indicate the following:
- Name of the injury victim
- Date of the injury
- Time and place of the injury
- Nature of the injury
Failure to report the injury as soon as possible can jeopardize your claim in several ways. First, your employer will not be able to investigate the incident appropriately. This is crucial for the success of your claim. Second, your employer, as well as the insurance company, will attempt to argue that the injury had nothing to do with your work. They may successfully argue that if you were indeed hurt at work, then you would have reported the matter as soon as possible.
Depending on the severity, an injury in the workplace can leave you traumatized. Knowing the mistakes to avoid following an injury in the workplace can ensure that you file a successful claim and get the compensation you deserve.