If you have been injured at work or suffered from some kind of work related sickness, you may be entitled to claim workers’ compensation assuming your employer has coverage with an insurance provider, such as the Nationwide. Even if you think you have done everything right, claims are sometimes denied and that means you may have to seek legal help to appeal the denial decision. Ordinarily, workers’ comp. insurance should pay any medical costs related to a genuine workplace injury or illness as well as cover a majority, if not all, of any earnings that have been forfeited through absence. The Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company – Company Profile The Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, also known as the “Nationwide” is a large financial company that provides insurance products, including workers’ compensation insurance to employers. The Nationwide has been established for a long time. It was first known as the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, and was incorporated in Columbus, Ohio. The headquarters of the present company are still located in Columbus, although there are several regional bases around the country. The company employs 39,000 people and holds assets of around $210 billion. These Tips May Help You Work Out What to Do if Denied a WC Claim A denial decision from your state’s workers’ compensation board is not the end of the world as far as a legitimate workers’ compensation claim is concerned. The decision can be appealed, but before you do this, follow the advice below in the form of these five tips. Tip#1. The reason(s) for the decision should be clearly spelled out on the letter from the board. One quite common error can lead to a claim denial and it is best to eliminate this first before proceeding with an appeal. Check with your employer and the representative from the Nationwide, if this is your employer’s insurer to make sure that some simple administrative error has not been made, such as a wrong date or time. Tip#2. Talk to an experienced attorney before doing anything else. Even if the board has claimed that you did not submit your claim on time or inform your supervisor early enough, this may be insufficient to deny your claim if you were physically unable to do either of these because of the severity of your injury or illness. Tip#3. If your attorney thinks you have a good chance of successfully appealing, make sure you submit your appeal well in time. As with all aspects of the workers’ comp. process, the right paperwork submitted according to prescribed time limits is essential. Tip#4. Take into consideration exactly why your claim was denied the first time. As long as the accident or illness was genuinely a workplace related incident, and times have been adhered to, the next most common reason for denial is the lack of supporting evidence. This may mean that you did not show that the incident happened while actually working, or the medical reports were lacking or you did not get any medical treatment at all. Whatever the reason take the advice from your attorney and obtain any kind of evidence that supports your account. Tip#5 Make sure you attend the administrative hearing that will be scheduled after an appeal request has been processed. Take all the new supporting evidence with you to the hearing. A WC Attorney Can Make All the Difference When Appealing a Claim Decision Don’t underestimate how difficult it can be trying to overturn a worker’s compensation claim denial on your own. Remember that your employer may have insurance to cover your injury or illness but will not make it easy for you to make a claim. Your employer’s insurer will also not bend over backwards to accept your version of the reason for the claim. A claim denial is a good reason for accepting advice and legal help from an experienced workers’ comp. attorney. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Nationwide, or any other company, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
