Were you injured on the job? Are you worried that you won’t be able to return to work in the near future? If you find yourself in this position, it’s time to file a workers’ compensation claim. By doing so, you hope that you’ll receive benefits until you’re healthy enough to return to your job.

In a perfect world, you would file a workers’ compensation claim, receive benefits, and go through the recovery period without much financial stress. However, this isn’t always the way things work. Instead, there are times when a claim is denied. If this happens to you, it’s important to take two steps:

• Find out why your claim was denied.
• Take action, such as by filing an immediate appeal.

Some of the most common reasons for the denial of benefits include:

1. Injury was not reported to your company in a timely manner

It’s your responsibility to ensure that your injury is reported to your company as soon as possible.

2. Claim was not filed in a timely manner

Just the same as reporting the injury to your employer, you need to file your claim in a timely manner, based on the laws in your state.

Note: No two states have the same exact system. If you’re one of our New Jersey readers, you can learn more here.

3. Employer dispute

Even if you’re 100 percent positive that your injury occurred on the job, your employer may dispute this claim. In some cases, employers will argue that the injury is the result of something that happened outside of work.

4. Lack of medical treatment

Generally speaking, you’re required to obtain medical treatment if you want to receive workers’ compensation benefits. This is why it’s important to not only receive treatment, but to also keep records of every doctor’s visit.

Appealing a denial

If you are denied workers’ compensation benefits for any reason, don’t hesitate to file an appeal. Although this isn’t something you want to do, you’re now in a position where it’s your only option.

With the help of a legal professional, you can learn more about the appeals process, including how to move forward and when to expect an answer. When you take the right steps, it’s your hope that you’ll begin to receive benefits sooner rather than later.