The main priority of workers compensation insurance companies is to minimize the amount they pay out.
When you are employed in the state of Missouri, your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This is the insurance that covers an employee if they are injured while on the job. It is mandatory to ensure that if someone is injured at work, the employer has the means and assets to pay for their injuries. The employer themselves does not pay for the worker’s compensation claim; the insurance company with whom they take out a policy does.
Insurance companies are not in the business of trying to maximize the amount that they pay out for claims but to minimize. So when you file a claim, their job is to try to either deny you coverage or to limit the extent of compensation that they pay. That is why it is imperative that you either know how to deal with a workers’ compensation insurance company or better yet, you speak with a Kansas City, MO workers’ compensation lawyer who can do so for you.
Stick to the Facts
When dealing with a workers’ compensation company, it is imperative that you approach them without giving too much detail, and never give any opinions about the incident. They will likely try to find cracks in your story to prove that your injuries were not work-related. Just be careful when speaking with them. Give them the truth and the whole truth, but do not give them your perspective on what happened or any assumptions or opinions you have. If you do it can come back to haunt you.
Make Sure to Seek the Proper Medical Care
Proving your claim for workers’ compensation is going to depend on you having the proper documentation of your injuries. If you don’t seek medical attention, then you won’t have any proof that you were actually injured. Make sure to keep all of your appointments as well, or they might try to claim that you had a duty to mitigate your injuries and failed to do so. If you miss appointments or don’t follow up, they can claim that you either made your injuries worse or that you didn’t take steps to make them better and deny you the treatment you need.
Get It in Writing
To ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve, you are going to want to get everything in writing. If you talk to the insurance company, make sure you know who you are speaking with. When you report your injury to your supervisor or manager, make sure that you get it in writing by either sending your written notice certified mail, faxing it, or emailing it for proof. That way the insurance company can’t claim that you didn’t make a claim within the 30-day timeline for reporting an injury.