Workers' Compensation: What To Do If An Investigation Needs To Take Place

In many cases, your workers' compensation claim will go through with little incident. However, there are times when the insurance company will state that they need time to conduct an investigation first. The law allows the insurance company to take a reasonable amount of time to investigate your claims before approving them.

While this may make sense, it also means that you'll be left with limited or no funds for a certain period of time. This can affect your ability to get treatment and pay for your other needs. What can you do about this?

Familiarize Yourself with the Workers' Compensation Process

Many people know that they're entitled to some form of compensation in case of a workplace injury. However, most people don't really know the process that such a claim has to go through before it is approved. This is why many people are surprised when they're told to wait until their claims are investigated. Take some time to learn the process that workers' compensation claims go through in your state.

Keep in Touch with the Claims Adjuster

At this point in time, information is the most important thing you can have. If you're left all alone in the dark, you won't know what to expect and the lack of information can be extremely stressful. Keep in touch with the claims adjuster to know how the investigations are going. If the insurance company starts to ignore you, it may be time to hire a workers' compensation attorney. You should also do the same if you have concerns about how the investigation is going.

Keep Records of Everything

It's unreasonable to expect that your life will come to a standstill while you wait for your compensation claim to go through. You'll have your regular expenses to take care of such as rent, food, clothing, etc. You may also have medical expenses as a result of the injuries sustained. While investigations are going on, it's unlikely that the insurance company will pay for more than the minimum medical expenses. As for the loss of wages, that will probably have to wait.

In such a situation, it's important to keep a record of all these expenses and also forward copies of them to your employer and the insurance company that is handling your workers' compensation claim. These records can help to prove the extent of your injuries and also justify the amount of money you're claiming.

Talk to a firm such as Neifert Byrne & Ozga to learn more.