In Georgia, all employees are entitled to compensation after sustaining a work-related injury or illness. That is why you should take the legal step of filing a workers’ compensation claim so that you can be compensated for injuries sustained after getting involved in an occupational accident.
However, even though it is your legal right to pursue your claim, you might not be able to recover all the benefits that you should get. That is because the insurance company will try to deny your claim or reduce your settlement. This usually leads to Riverdale workers’ compensation disputes.
The only way you can settle such issues is with the help of a Riverdale workers’ compensation lawyer. At the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition, we can help you fight for your rights by making sure that you recover all the benefits that are entitled to you.
Contact our law firm today at 470-518-5026 , and we will start by offering you a free case evaluation and legal advice.
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Causes of Riverdale Workers’ Compensation Disputes
After being involved in a work-related accident, it is important that you do what is required to protect your compensation claim. In Riverdale, Georgia, both the employee and the employer have various responsibilities that they are required to fulfill so that the injured employee can be compensated for injuries sustained while on duty.
Because of this reason, we at the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition in Riverdale, Georgia, advise employees to report work-related accidents immediately since it is the first legal step towards filing a workers’ compensation claim. This also leads to other legal challenges including workers’ compensation disputes, which can be caused by the following factors.
Employment Status
The employment status of the injured employee determines whether he or she is eligible to recover the necessary damages for sustaining a work-related illness or injury. Because of this reason, make sure that you are aware of your current employment status before leaving the workplace to seek medical treatment.
Outside Scope Of Employment
Another reason why workers’ compensation disputes arise is as a result of the outside scope of employment. What this means is that your employer claims that your injuries or illnesses are not work-related, and because of this reason, you will be required to have enough evidence to support your claim.
Lack of Causation
As an injured employee, your claim can only be considered to be valid if you can prove that the illness or injuries sustained occurred at the workplace while on duty.
Missed Deadline
A missed deadline is another common cause of workers’ compensation disputes. That is because the insurance company usually uses various tactics in making sure that injured employees miss the chance of filing their compensation claim on time. Because of this reason, you need to make sure that you do not miss the deadline of filing your workers’ compensation claim after getting involved in an occupational accident.
Inadequate Information
When proving your claim, the law requires you to provide statements that are honest concerning your injuries and the occupational accident you were involved in. In most cases, insurance companies and employers often use this to dispute any compensation claim filed by an injured employee.
Moreover, both the employer and insurance providers also accused injured employees of not providing essential information, which is why you should work in hand with the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition to prevent such workers’ compensation disputes.
What to Do If Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied in Georgia?
Having your workers’ compensation claim denied does not mean that you stop fighting for what is legally yours. That is because there are other legal means you can use to continue pursuing your claim. The first thing that you should do is contact the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition so that we can help you file an appeal after having your compensation claim denied.
The process of filing for an appeal involves requesting a hearing with the Georgia Board of Workers’ Compensation. To make this request, you must file and submit a WC-14 form with the help of your lawyer. Furthermore, you must make sure that you file for an appeal before the deadline which is one year from the time your compensation claim is denied.
Types of Workers’ Compensation Disputes in Riverdale, Georgia
In Riverdale, Georgia, an injured employee may face two types of workers’ compensation disputes. These two types are medical disputes and claim disputes.
Medical Dispute
The purpose of a medical dispute is to legally seek another hearing regarding your medical care expenses for work-related injuries or illness. Your workers’ compensation lawyer will address your liability dispute, permanent/temporary impairment dispute, and work-related injury or illness dispute.
Claim Dispute
The Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition can help you recover all the benefits that you are entitled to by filing for an appeal after your claim is denied.
Workers Compensation Dispute and Appeals Process in Georgia
In Riverdale, Georgia, the law does give injured employees the privilege of filing for an appeal if their claim is denied. This can be done with the help of a workers’ compensation lawyer using the following legal means:
- Appeal your case through a hearing with an administrative law judge.
- Your workers’ compensation lawyer can also appeal your case through the appeals court judge or State Board of Workers’ Compensation. To start the process, your lawyer must first request for a review of your compensation claim denial before revising the previous or former decision.
Get Help With Your Riverdale Workers’ Compensation Dispute
It is never advisable to pursue a worker’ compensation claim without the help of a legal representative. That is because you will have fewer chances of recovering all the benefits that you are entitled to. Furthermore, you also risk having your claim denied since you will not have the skills and the experience needed to address any dispute that may arise.
Because of this reason, you should contact the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition to assist you with your case. We can help you recover after getting involved in an occupational accident. Therefore, contact us today at 470-518-5026 for a free case evaluation and legal assistance with workers’ compensation disputes in Riverdale, Georgia.
