What to Do If Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Suspended

If you were injured as a result of your work conditions, you know how stressful it is to deal with lost wages, insurance claims, and medical bills.

Work-related injuries occur in a wide range of industries and jobs. From office sustained occupational disease or injuries to serious accidents on construction sites or slip and falls while working in a restaurant, employees are more or less at risk of being injured, no matter where they work and what they do. 

If you were injured as a result of your work conditions, you know how stressful it is to deal with lost wages, insurance claims, and medical bills, all while recovering from an injury or adapting to a disability. 

If you are surprised to find that your employer is trying to suspend the benefits you are collecting, or that they even succeeded in stopping them before you fully recovered, here is what you need to know.

What Is the Suspension of Your Workers’ Comp Benefits?

Benefits from the Workers’ Compensation Department are given to employees who hurt themselves while performing work duties and protects them financially. The benefits cover medical bills, lost wages, and ensure that the employee can sustain themselves while out of work. 

What are the possible causes of your workers’ comp benefits stopping?

There are several possible scenarios:

• You can go back to work, or you already started working again. Since workers’ compensation benefits are destined to protect you while you are off work, it doesn’t make sense to receive them after returning to your job. 
• The 500 weeks of partial disability benefits have already passed. Do some calculations to make sure this is not the case if you want to pursue this further.
• You haven’t been compliant with the medical treatment that was prescribed. Doing this can make you lose your benefits, as you are not doing your part. 
• Similarly, if you don’t show an active interest in returning to your job, or expressing disinterest in working again (to your employer or insurer), they might use this to stop your benefit payments. 
• Your claim is incomplete and refused, or the coverage limited. Check your claim for missing information and contact your insurer to add the necessary information about your wage or medical condition.

What Can You Do About the Suspension of Your Workers’ Comp Benefits?

First of all, find out what exactly made the employer suspend your benefits. Contact them and/or the insurance company and demand details about the decision. You can then act accordingly and provide missing information, or at least better understand your situation.

With these new details, contact your workers’ compensation lawyer or consider hiring one now, as a legal dispute is more complicated than your initial claim. An attorney is familiar with the state law and will know exactly what you are entitled to and up to when. They will help correct any error and fight for your right to fair compensation.