If your workers’ compensation claim is denied, it can be a financially distressing time for you since you will have to pay your bills, including medical bills, without a source of income — possibly for a considerable time as you recover from your injuries.
While you can appeal a denied claim, the time spent during the entire process can pile further misery on your situation. Therefore, it helps to understand why your claim could be denied so that you can do all you can to avoid that. Here are some of the reasons.
You failed to inform your employer on time
You must adhere to specific deadlines with your workers’ compensation claim. One of them is informing your employer of a workplace accident. Under New Jersey law, you have 14 to 90 days to do so, or it may be impossible to claim any benefits.
Your accident was not work-related
Workers’ compensation benefits are only available to employees injured in the line of duty. Therefore, your claim is likely to be unsuccessful if there are doubts about the nature of your accident or if you were intoxicated or utterly reckless at the time.
Pre-existing injuries
Workers’ compensation benefits do not cover injuries existing before your workplace accident. This is one of the reasons why it’s important to get a detailed and comprehensive medical report right after your accident to rule out such a possibility.
Getting help with a workers’ compensation claim
If you have been injured at work, consider getting legal counsel on the dos and don’ts that you should observe to increase the chances of a successful outcome on the first try. It will save you the hassles of navigating the legal red tape of the appeal process.