It can be frustrating learning that a claim for compensation has been denied after a workplace injury. Most employers, including Best Buy, take out workers’ compensation insurance through a private insurance carrier. A successful claim is not dependent on proving that the employer was at fault, but there is an absolute insistence that the injury happened at work and that the procedure for making a claim is adhered to throughout the claim process. If you are not happy with the insurer’s decision you can still appeal. You may even be able to get the insurer to change their mid if a simple mistake was made with the claim. Filing an appeal can be challenging and is best left to a competent workers’ comp. lawyer. Contact Best Buy’s Insurance Company A denied claim is usually first received through the mail. Contact the insurer directly if you are unsure why your claim has been denied. There may be a simple reason. Your employer may have made an administrative error and released the wrong date to the insurer, who would then deny your claim on the grounds that you couldn’t have been injured at work. Sometimes, the documentation you have provided is insufficient and you need to provide more evidence of how much your injury has cost you. Each state determines its own rules for filing a workers’ comp. claim and this includes time limits at each step of the way. Some claims are denied, for example, simply because the injured worker failed to let their supervisor know about the injury within the time limit, or the information somehow didn’t get passed on to the right person or wasn’t recorded properly. File Your Best Buy Workers’ Comp. Appeal If you get nowhere with your employer’s insurer, you will need advice before taking the next step. Each state has an established procedure for appeals against denied claims. An appeal should be filed well within the time allocated and you should be prepared to be much better prepared with the evidence you have available to back your claim up. Although state WC appeal procedures are not all exactly the same, they tend to fit a certain pattern. The first step is to get you, the claimant together with a representative from the employer or the insurer in an informal meeting to try and get a resolution to the dispute before scheduling a more formal hearing. You should have your lawyer with you at each stage to represent you. The next step is to schedule an administrative hearing, more like a court appearance presided over by a judge, or sometimes more than one judge. Here, the evidence is presented from both sides and the judge or judges give a final opinion. You can either leave it at this stage or, if dissatisfied take it further, typically to the state Appellate Court. A Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help File an Appeal You are strongly advised to have legal representation throughout a denied workers’ compensation claim appeal. Additional Resources Help! I was Injured Working for Best Buy!* Denied Workers’ Compensation at Best Buy?* *Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Best Buy, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
