If a breadwinner is injured at work or suffers from an illness that has been caused by the environment in the workplace, it can be devastating for a family. All of a sudden, there is little or no money finding its way into the household budget and the family is having difficulty finding how to make ends meet. Luckily, if the injury or illness has definitely been caused in the workplace, there is usually help available in the form of workers’ compensation. This is a payment made through the employer’s insurer to cover the sick or injured worker by paying for the cost of medical treatment and a proportion of lost income. American Assets Group – Company Profile The American Assets Group is part of a larger group of insurers under the name of Insurance Companies of the West (ICW). It's based in San Diego, California. It has an annual revenue turnover of more than $3 billion. The group is an important insurance provider offering auto, earthquake and workers’ compensation insurance for businesses and individuals. Tips to Help You Make Your Mind Up What To Do After a Workers’ Comp. Claim Has Been Denied There are many reasons why a workers’ comp. claim may be denied. You will be told in the letter you receive from your state’s workers’ comp board. Often the reasons can be resolved by filing an appeal against the decision and getting yourself better armed with the right evidence and documentation before the appeal date. Talking with a workers’ comp attorney may help to get the decision reversed. Tip #1: Read the denial letter carefully so you are able to work out exactly why the workers’ comp. board arrived at its decision. There may be something you can do to change its mind. A workers' comp attorney is well qualified to help you with this matter. Tip #2: The denial might not be anything to do with you, but might be due to something your employer filled in on the form stating your injury or illness did not happen at work. This might be a typo or simply failure to tick the correct box. This sort of mistake can be rectified quite quickly and easily. Tip #3: Check to make sure you filed your workers’ comp. claim by the right date. This is often overlooked, especially if the worker has been hospitalized or was too sick to complete the required workers’ compensation application forms. You may be able to appeal this decision but don’t try to do it alone but talk to a workers’ compensation attorney first who will point you in the right direction as well as ensure you lodge the appeal in the required time frame. Tip #4: Your attorney may tell you to get better evidence to prove that your injury took place while on the job. This may mean contacting witnesses you haven’t used before who will support your case and sign a statement that your injury took place while you were undertaking job related duties. Tip #5: Once your appeal is in motion you will be asked to attend an administrative hearing before the appeal is heard in full. This is the time to take along all relevant documents including witness statements, medical reports, invoices and receipts for the medical treatment you have received. The judge will listen carefully to everything presented by you and your attorney. Use an Experienced WC Attorney if Contemplating Appealing a Denied Claim Many workers don’t normally need to file a workers’ comp. claim with the help of an attorney. However, it’s extremely important to get advice from a workers’ comp attorney if your claim has been denied. The attorney has the experience to decide what the best action is in this sort of situation. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against American Assets Group, or any other company, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
