Injuries are frustrating. They pull people away from daily routine, away from a fully functioning normal life. Depending on the severity of the injury, it might take weeks to get life back to normal. Sometimes life will never be the same.
Injuries are bad enough. Imagine experiencing an injury at work only to have your claim for workers’ compensation denied. It happens, and it’s extremely frustrating when you’re already dealing with the challenges of your injury.
Common reasons for denial
There are many unique reasons why workers’ comp claims are denied, but here are six of the most common:
- Late to file a claim
- Late reporting of injury
- The injury cannot be covered
- An employer disputes the claim
- The injury was not work related
- No medical treatment was received
As the list shows, there are many reasons for denial. The application itself needs to be timely, detailed and complete, showing proper evidence of an injury, the treatment needed, and its cause. Even then, it’s possible that an employer will dispute it or that the injury is difficult to prove. Stress-related injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder are notoriously challenging, though they are covered by workers’ compensation in Minnesota under the right conditions.
Appeals and paperwork
Fortunately, a denial isn’t the end of the road. Your injury is a serious matter and you deserve a respectful resolution. It’s possible to resubmit and appeal a claim. Workers’ compensation is designed to weed out false claims, and sometimes legitimate injuries have an uphill climb to get through the system. Anyone filing a claim needs to act in a timely manner, but it’s just as important to submit a complete claim with the right information to prove your injury and its cause to minimize the chance of denial.
