Top 5 ways to screw up your work comp claim
- Failing to timely report the claim. You have 45 days to report the accident, but every day that passes hurts your case. Report it immediately to your supervisor or boss. Note any witnesses or co-workers who were present when you were hurt.
- Picking the wrong doctor. In Illinois work comp claims you only get one choice of doctor and all the referrals from that doctor. If your choice is someone super conservative, then you might not get the care or help you need. If your doctor doesn’t want to refer you to an expert, then your treatment and case are in trouble. If your doctor refuses to give depos or accept work comp insurance, then your case is in trouble. Ask a lawyer who know what he/she is doing. They know the doctor to avoid.
- Lying, exaggerating or being inconsistent in your medical records. This is simple. Tell the truth all the time. Don’t say your pain is a 10 when it’s probably a 4. Don’t tell 3 different versions of how you were injured. The defense will latch onto these inconsistencies and deny your claim.
- Posting on social media. Stay off social media of any kind when you have an injury claim. If you want to attend your kid’s sporting event, don’t put that on Facebook. It might hurt your back to sit for 2 hours on a bleacher…but it will hurt your case even more.
- Picking the wrong lawyer. For goodness sake, pick someone who does this kind of work all the time. Ask him/her how many cases they try a year. Ask them how many experts they have cross examined (I’ve done over 5,000 injury depositions). Your health and finances are at stake. Don’t hire someone unless they’ve handled hundreds…thousands of cases.
Call Keith Short and Associates for a free consultation. 618-254-0055. www.siltrial.com