Denial of Claims in PA Workers Comp
Unfortunately, many worker compensation claims are initially denied due to the insurance company’s focus on saving your employer as much money as possible. They can assume or decide your injury happened outside of work or does not cause sufficient pain or disability to stop you from performing your regular work duties.
The employer can send a Notice of Compensation Denial up to 21 days after you initially tell them about the injury. Do not despair. With the help of an experienced attorney, you can potentially get this denial overturned in the workers comp appeals process. This is not something that you can handle yourself with ease.
However, the right attorney can file the appeal, navigates the entire process according to the laws of the state, and stand at your side during all necessary hearings or court appearances. Gregory Boles is prepared to help you at every step of the initial filing or claim denial appeals process.
Denied Claim Lawyer in Philadelphia
The most common reasons for a claim to be denied are:
- No eyewitnesses to the injury
- Injury was not reported within the time limits
- Accident report and initial medical records provide conflicting information
- Initial medical records indicate drugs or alcohol in worker’s system
- Statement was not given to the insurance company
- Work comp claim was filed after termination
When PA Workers Compensation Gets Denied
If you sustained an injury while working for your employer, you have to deal with more than medical appointments and possible pain. These highly stressful situations also include the potential for lost wages and ongoing expenses for additional appointments and medical treatment. In the case of severe accidents, you may worry about ever getting back on track with your career again.
The last thing you need is more stress if your employer denies your workers compensation claim at the start. Unfortunately, this type of thing happens quite frequently. The insurance company who holds your employer’s policy has primary goal of saving the company money. Therefore, they do not want to have to pay out compensation if they can help it. To that end, they claim that your injuries do not require all the medical treatment recommended or that you can return to work earlier than is prudent.
In order to counteract these types of compensation denials, you need an excellent attorney on your side. Gregory Boles of Liberty Bell Workers Compensation has more than 35 years of representing this state’s workers in getting all of the benefits they deserve. If you were denied, you still have the opportunity to appeal that decision.
Why Do Workers Compensation Denials Happen?
Other than the aforementioned focus on saving money, there are some less devious reasons why denials happen. The two most common reasons are due to not meeting reporting deadlines and providing inaccurate or incomplete documentation. Of course, employer denials may have roots in truth rather than self-protection. Unfortunately, some workers do attempt to get payouts they do not deserve. This makes it more difficult for people like you who genuinely need the help.
Failure to Meet Reporting Deadlines – It is always in your best interest to report an injury or accident to your employer as soon as possible after it occurs. According to the PA workers compensation rules, you must do so within 120 days. Ideally, the report happens in the first 21 days, which is necessary if you want to receive temporary benefits during the claim approval or denial process. This is exceptionally helpful if you need immediate medical care or are missing a lot of work with bills to pay.
Inaccurate or Incomplete Documentation – Accuracy of all events, forms, reports, and documents are necessary to make an informed decision about whether your compensation claim is valid or not. This includes basic data such as the date and time of the incident as well as full medical reports, witness statements, and your personal responses and actions before, during, and after the incident.
You Can Appeal a Workers Comp Denial
With the help of an experienced attorney, you can counter it denial with a Claim Petition sent to the Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Bureau. The deadline to do this is a generous three years after the injury occurred. Very similar to a court case, a judge who specializes in workers comp rules will either approve or deny the appeal. If they deny it, you then have just 20 days to appeal this decision again.
The entire thing involves close adherence to deadlines, intricate documentation, and a lot of forms that may be difficult for the layperson to understand and complete accurately. If you have already been denied for your workers compensation claim one or two times, it makes no sense to avoid getting an attorney for your final attempt.
Remember that you can engage the services of a law firm who specializes in these types of claims at any point in the process. People choose to file the initial paperwork themselves, which does carry a higher chance of denial. However, if you get to this point, it makes sense to give a call and set up a consultation to help with the appeals process.
Denied Claim Attorney in Philadelphia
Workers’ compensation fraud, greedy employers, and for profit insurance companies have made it increasingly hard for injured workers to obtain benefits. All too often, suffering workers are denied benefits for a work-related injury or illness. Although some claims may not be legitimate, many more are valid cases with injured workers in dire need of financial assistance.
If your workers’ compensation claim was denied, don’t wait one more minute to contact Liberty Bell Workers Compensation. We can connect you with one of our qualified denied claim lawyers right away to discuss what legal options may be available to you. A knowledgeable denied claim attorney can help you overcome a denied claim status so you can get funds for injury-related damages.
Denied Claim Attorneys in Philadelphia
Please keep in mind, you do not have to provide the insurance company with a recorded statement or sign any documents they have given you. In fact, it is not wise to speak to an insurance agent before talking to a skilled denied claim attorney. An ethical denied claim lawyer won’t let the insurance company intimidate you and won’t let them get away with offering you an inadequate amount of compensation for:
- Lost earnings – current and future lost earnings
- Medical bills – hospital stays, surgeries, medicine, rehabilitation
- Job displacement – training for workers unable to perform current occupation
- Death benefits – related to a workplace accident death
Denied Claim Lawyers in Philadelphia
Just because your claim was denied initially, do not give up your legal right to work comp benefits. An aggressive denied claim attorney can help you determine if an appeal is the best course of legal action for you. All too often, workers attempt to handle the appeals process on their own and never make it past the first steps of the process. Without knowledge of civil procedures, a judge may not allow an injured worker to present additional evidence at subsequent hearings.
Don’t step before a judge without a talented denied claim lawyer by your side. It is very likely you will lose the appeal and be left with nothing to assist you in your recovery.
Philadelphia Denied Claim Attorney
Fight for your legal rights by contacting a professional denied claim attorney. Call Liberty Bell Workers Compensation now at 215.399.0089 to get a free consultation. We offer free case reviews and take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we don’t get paid until you do. You only have so much time to appeal a denied claim, so pick up the phone and call right away.
