My Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Taking Too Long To Process. Should I Hire A Personal Injury Attorney?

If you were recently injured in the workplace, you have probably already submitted a workers’ compensation claim. It is important to understand that the processing of these claims may take some time. However, what do you do when the processing of your claim seems to be taking much longer than you expected? During this process, you may consider hiring a personal injury attorney. The following article will show a few ways that a personal injury attorney can be beneficial after you have already filed a workers’ compensation claim.

1. Contact the insurance company: Insurance companies can often be slow in processing workers’ compensation claims. Even if the insurance company does not deny your claim outright, it could delay the processing of your claim by either failing to respond to your inquiries or by failing to send payment if a settlement has already been reached. If the insurance company is dragging its feet, an attorney can help move along the processing of your claim by reaching out to the company and requesting the expeditious processing of your claim.
2. Dispute the denial of your claim: Sometimes, the insurance company which represents your employer will deny your workers’ compensation claim. There are various reasons why an insurance company may deny these claims, but the most common reason involves the fact that the insurance company does not believe (either based on the evidence or the claims of your employer) that the employer is responsible for the injuries you sustained. An attorney can obtain additional information about the denial and dispute the denial of your claim with the insurance company.
3. Gather evidence: If the insurance company fails to process your claim in a timely manner and you decide instead to file a claim against your employer at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, an attorney can help you build a strong case by gathering relevant and necessary evidence regarding the accident to support your claims.
4. Investigate any potential third-party cases:  Often times, injured workers, in addition to their workers’ compensation case against their employer, may also have a personal injury case against some third-party that actually caused their accident and injuries to occur during work hours.  An attorney will perform all investigations to ensure that every responsible party is identified and every benefit is sought.
5. Explain entitled benefits: There are certain types of benefits (for example, permanency and lost wages) that the insurance company may not properly explain to you.   As an injured employee you are entitled to a lump sum settlement or arbitration award at the conclusion of your case.  An attorney will explain to you all potential damage awards you could receive if you take your case to court.

Is Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Taking Too Long to Process? Contact Our Firm

Unfortunately, there can often be significant delays in the processing of workers’ compensation claims. If it appears that your claim is taking a while to process, Connolly Injury Law can help. Our Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys are ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have about filing a personal injury lawsuit.