If you have been injured while at work or become ill as a result of your job, you should be able to obtain compensation, at least medical costs and a proportion of wages that might have been lost because of absence from work. Your employer may have taken out workers’ compensation insurance with a reputable insurance provider like Fairfax. In most states, this is a legal requirement, at least for major employers and many smaller employers, too. You will need to inform your supervisor of the injury or illness and within a specific time frame file a workers’ compensation claim. If the claim is denied, you can still appeal the decision, but you will probably need the help of a competent attorney. Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc. – Company Profile Fairfax Financial Holdings Inc., also known by the shortened name Fairfax, is a property investment and casualty insurance company based in Toronto Canada, but offering services within the whole of North America, including the U.S. The company was established in 1985 by Prem Wetsa, who remains in control as CEO and Chairman of the company’s board. Fairfax provides workers’ compensation insurance amongst other business insurance products. Its strategy is based on a decentralized management policy with regional management teams in charge of localized operations. Tips to Help You With a Denied WC Claim Tip #1: If you have received a denial decision, you may still be able to get it reversed, but your strategy to do this depends on a clear understanding of the reason(s) why your claim was denied. The communication from the workers’ compensation board will advise you what the reason(s) was. Tip #2: After checking the denial reason, make sure that there is not some simple explanation. Sometimes, employers or insurers make mistakes with dates and times which can lead to a denial if it is thought that you were not at work when an accident happened, for instance. This sort of error can usually be rectified quite easily. Tip #3: Failing this, contact an attorney who deals with workers’ compensation. Go over the circumstances and explain what sort of evidence you did or did not provide to support your claim. The attorney will be able to judge whether an appeal is worthwhile and what sort of documentation or other evidence should be obtained before the appeal is formally heard. Tip #4: If an appeal is advised, make sure that you submit your request within the requisite time frame. Tip #5: before the administrative hearing make sure you have obtained any more evidence that might support your claim. What this is depends on what the reason for the denial decision was. Your attorney will advise you what to obtain. A Workers’ Comp Attorney Should be Your First Call After a WC Claim Denial Even if you didn’t use an attorney with your original claim, if the claim has been denied and there is no simple error which can be identified, an attorney with experience in workers’ comp. appeals will make all the difference and will save a lot of time and stress on your part. The attorney can advise on the likelihood of success if you do appeal, suggest evidence which might help your case and if all fails, suggest other legal options if he or she thinks your case for a civil lawsuit is sound. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Fairfax Financial Holdings, or any other company, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
