Chances are, over the course of your life, you have had an injury or two. Back when you were much younger, you could not do much other than tell someone else to take you to the doctor and get it examined, dealing with nothing but pain. However, should any injury affect you now, especially in a workplace, you should see a workers comp doctor in Glen Cove as soon as possible. Worker’s compensation is essentially how one keeps receiving paychecks even when unable to work as a result of an injury. The qualifications for it vary with each workforce, regardless of the injury. However, what should be thought about and kept in mind is what disqualifies you from worker’s compensation. While it is easy to understand what gets you in, it is what keeps you from it that few people are aware of, which is a potentially life-saving set of information.
At New York Injury Associates, workers comp doctor in Glen Cove we know a thing or two about worker’s compensation; concerning how to get and lose it among our caliber of knowledge. To understand how to lose worker’s compensation, it is first important to understand what makes you qualified, as it may not be as straightforward as you think.
What Makes You Earn Worker’s Compensation
Two major factors come into play when determining if one is deserving of worker’s compensation:
- If you are an employee of the establishment at which you were hurt
- If your employer has worker’s compensation insurance
It is important to understand what your exact employment status is, as some businesses may list you as an “independent contractor” and not an employee. Independent contractors are usually not qualified, as they tend to be freelance workers who have a nomad-like nature career. If you are incorrectly labeled by your employer, and you have an accident at the workplace, you have an opportunity to fight for an appeal. Also, while it is rare, some businesses may not actually provide worker’s compensation insurance, so it is important to fully understand your businesses insurance details that your employer does not tell you.
What Disqualifies You From Worker’s Compensation
Another factor that affects your eligibility for worker’s compensation is whether or not your employer believes your injury was work-related. To be eligible for worker’s compensation:
- You must have been hurt while performing actions in service to the employer
- Your work was the direct cause of your injury
There is the obvious and unfortunately, common strategy amongst workers to try and hurt themselves on purpose, of which never works and should absolutely not be attempted by anyone, as that will most likely result in termination or, worse, a court case.
You not only need to affirm that your injury is so severe to the point that it is preventing you from working and performing basic tasks, but you also need to be much more aware of worker’s compensation insurance application deadlines. These deadlines vary in each state, so it is important to report the injury as fast as possible. Speaking with your medical provider and acquiring an official medical report will do just the trick as well. Insurance companies are going to either deny your claim, or lower your benefits as much as possible if you fail to make a good case or use poor wording to describe your injury. Therefore, it is usually best to leave it to the doctor to speak on your behalf, hopefully before any lawyer has to.
Speaking of insurance companies, some try to minimize your benefits by proving that, even after a medical report, you had a pre-existing condition. They may state that the pre existing condition is related to your injury, and blame that for the cause of the injury. You will then take part in what is known as an independent medical exam, to iron out the details in order to benefit you accordingly.
The Bottom Line
It is up to you to find out just what your employer offers when it comes to worker’s compensation (as well as other insurance plans your employer provides that you didn’t know about prior). It is also key to know what the deadlines are to apply for worker’s compensation, ensuring that the steps taken were done in a timely fashion. New York Injury Associates, workers comp doctor in Glen Cove knows that there are untimely complications that often affect most worker’s compensation claims. As a result, it is important to know just what those are, and to educate yourself before any unforeseen injury that may arise directly due to your assigned actions in the workplace.
Contact Us Today
New York Injury Associates, workers comp doctor in Glen Cove is always here to help with any qualms that have affected your lifestyle, and of which occurred due to accidents in the workplace. Contact us today, we have numerous locations in Long Island and Queens.