Understanding Workers' Compensation Benefits
If you are collecting workers’ compensation benefits, you are in a situation where you depend on this financial help while you recover from your work-related injury. But, it is crucial to know when and why your benefits might end. This helps you avoid making a mistake that puts at risk your workers’ compensation benefits. These are some of the possible reasons why your workers’ compensation benefits were terminated.
Compromise
If you decide to complete your case and get the lump-sum payment, you are compromising with your employer and their insurance company to receive the settled terms in exchange for dropping the lawsuit and your benefits. Make sure you review any settlement with your workers’ compensation attorney in Hickory.
Doctor’s Decision
If a doctor evaluates your health condition and finds that you are no longer in a situation to get the compensation, then your benefits will end. Let’s say a doctor states that you are permanently partially disabled. But meanwhile, you show some improvement, and a few years later, you respond well to a new treatment and can continue working without pain. Your physician could remove your permanent disability, which will lead to the ending of your workers’ compensation benefits.
You didn’t follow the medical treatment ordered by a doctor
Workers’ compensation benefits should help you with your medical expenses and give you income while you are recovering from a work-related injury. It is crucial to do everything to recover from the injury and return to your job. The medical treatment is an important part of the recovery process. If your doctor requests medical treatment and you fail to follow it, you could lose your benefits.
Insurance Company Decision
Your insurance company can decide to deny or cut off your benefits for several reasons. In most cases, they do this because they did not get some of the documentation to support your benefit payments. They can also do it if you don’t attend an evaluation or if your evaluating doctor does not submit the proper reports. The good side of this is that you can appeal this decision and have your benefits continue if the insurers made a mistake with the discontinuation.
Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board
The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board has authority in workers’ compensation cases. It’s possible your workers’ compensation benefits were terminated if you didn’t attend hearings, prosecute your case, or submit the needed paperwork. They can end the benefits as part of a compromise and release agreement or if the court brought that decision.
You employer insists on a medical exam, and you ignore it
Employers and their insurance companies often use this tactic to avoid paying any further workers’ compensation benefits. You are required by law to submit to this exam. It does not matter if you are still injured, and you think your employer is trying to put pressure on you, you still need to show up to that exam. If you are in such a situation, make sure you consult with your workers’ compensation lawyer.
Incomplete Verification Form
If you fail to complete and return the employee verification form to your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company within 30 days, you face the risk of losing your benefits.
This form requires you to report if you had any other job or got any other wages during the time you were recovering and receiving workers’ compensation benefits. It is crucial that you fill out this form on both sides and sign it and return it to the insurance company within thirty days. If you fail to do this, the insurance company can stop your workers’ compensation benefits until you file and submit the form. Your company is not required to pay for any gap in the time between the 30 days and when you finally send in the form.
Judge Ends Your Benefits
A judge may review your claim and delays or ends your workers’ compensation benefits.
When your benefits are suspended, it is an indicator that your lost wage payments are completed. It does not mean that your workers’ compensation is ended. If a judge reviews your case and ends your workers’ compensation benefits, you will lose both your wage and medical benefits.
Contact an Attorney if Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits Were Terminated
If you are facing any of these situations, and you fear that you will lose your workers’ compensation benefits, it is time to schedule a consultation with a skilled and experienced law firm that handles workers’ comp cases.
Contact Harman Law today to schedule your first consultation. We will gladly fight for your fights till the very end.
