No workplace is entirely safe. Even comfortable office environments can be hazardous at times. All good employers are expected to have a safety net in place to protect any of their employees from injury or illness that is work related. There are few exceptions across the U.S. for employers not to have workers’ compensation insurance. Unfortunately for injured workers, the fact that their employer has insurance designed to cover them for unexpected workplace injuries doesn’t always mean that a claim for compensation is always successful. Insurers may deny a WC claim for all sorts of reasons, sometimes on a technicality or administrative error, sometimes because they are not confident that the injury happened genuinely at work. Any denied claim can be appealed, but this is a more difficult process and it is preferable that a WC lawyer is used throughout. Contact Dillards' Insurance Company If you have been injured while at work at Dillards and have received a denied claim decision in the mail, you may need to find out the exact reason why the claim was denied. Did you let your employer know about the accident as soon as you could after it happened? Did they inform their insurer and provide all the correct details? Up to 50% of denied claims may be due to simple errors in procedure which can be rectified. You do need to stick to the time limits at each step of a WC claim. Typically, these are determined by the state agency responsible for workers’ compensation and not the employer or insurer. For example, in many states, you need to officially inform your employer, or at least your workplace supervisor, within days of an injury. This also needs to be recorded in a workplace logbook or reported to the insurer or state workers’ compensation board. If these things don’t happen, or if there has been a breakdown in communication it may allow the insurer to have a good reason for denying a justifiable claim. File Your Dillards Workers’ Comp. Appeal If you cannot convince Dillards’ insurer to process your claim, you may need to file an appeal. This is a more challenging exercise than just filing a claim for WC. The procedure is set out by the state WC board or agency. You need to adhere to this procedure closely or lose the chance of obtaining compensation. Most states will try a mediation session first to see if there is an easy answer to a dispute between you and the insurer about your claim. The mediator will meet with you, your lawyer, if you have one, and a representative from the insurance provider. Often, an agreement can be obtained after mediation. If not, and there is still substantial disagreement, an official hearing may be scheduled. A judge will be appointed to examine evidence from both sides and come to a more binding decision one way or another. There are still further steps that can be taken if you are not satisfied with the judge’s decision. A Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help File an Appeal Filing a workers’ compensation denied claim appeal should not be taken lightly. It is sensible to be legally represented at all stages of the appeal by an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer. 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 Dillards, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation. Additional Resources I Got Hurt Working For Dillard's. What Do I Do?* Denied Workers’ Comp. at Dillards*
