Injuries at work could happen at any time. You don’t even need to be doing anything particularly dangerous. You could just slip over on a shiny floor and fall over, hit your head and wake up on a hospital bed. Who pays the bills if you are injured at work? Theoretically, most workplace injuries at a place like Burlington Coat Factory should be covered by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. Claims can help to pay most, if not all, of the medical bills and a good percentage of any lost wages. Unfortunately, despite workers’ comp. being a no-fault type of insurance, claims are often denied, sometimes for the most avoidable reason. Typical reasons given for a denied claim include suspicion that an injury wasn’t work related or that your documentation provided was insufficient to show how much you wanted to claim. Contact Burlington Coat Factory's Insurance Company When you get a denied claim advice, it can be quite a shock. The claim decision may not be accompanied by any specific reason. You will need to contact Burlington Coat Factory’s insurer directly to found out why they denied the claim. If you are lucky, you may find that they were acting on the wrong information. In about half of all WC denied claim decisions, this is what has happened. Check with your employer to make sure that the right dates have been supplied to the insurance adjuster. Paperwork is important in any insurance claim and WC claims are no different. You need to let your workplace supervisor know about your accident and the injury within a specified time limit. You might miss out on obtaining compensation if you don’t stick to state determined time limits throughout the workers’ comp. claim process. File Your Burlington Coat Factory Workers’ Comp. Appeal If you have found that the insurer is playing hard ball and has come to an unsatisfactory decision about paying you compensation for a genuine workplace injury, you will need to file an appeal. It is best to have legal help with this stage of a WC claim. Workers’ compensation appeals are under the control of the state WC Board or similar agency, not the employer or its insurer. You will need to be aware of the process involved in filing an appeal in the state in which you work. Although each state has different procedures, there is a similar general pattern. The emphasis is on early agreement on compensation. This may happen if you are invited to attend a mediation meeting. A mediator will be present to help you discuss any difference of opinion between you and the insurer about why your claim as denied. If the mediation doesn’t lead to a more agreeable decision, there may be an official hearing scheduled. This is overseen by a judge, who will make a more definitive decision based on his or her interpretation of the evidence available. There are further levels of appeal available if the hearing goes against you. A Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help File an Appeal It is hard attempting to file an appeal all by yourself. You are more likely to obtain a satisfactory outcome if you use an experienced WC lawyer throughout the appeal procedure. *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 Burlington Coat Factory, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation. Additional Resources Were You Hurt While Working at Burlington Coat Factory?* How Can I Start a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
