Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Workers' Comp Claim

When someone is injured in an accident, more immediate concerns of receiving appropriate care and medical attention take precedence over lawsuits and claims. There are mistakes injured workers make just after an accident on the job. These mistakes will hinder their ability to collect a workers' comp claim.

Brent Adams & Associates encourages all victims of accidents--whether on the job or not--to keep a written diary of their symptoms, pain and all other physical consequences of their injury. All information concerning your claim should be included. NC law protects injured workers and provides a set of benefits. Employers and their insurance companies are profit-making entities. An insurance company's goal is to save themselves as much money as possible, which means shortchanging injured employees. If you're wondering if your employer is treating you fairly you can call the ombudsman division of the NC Industrial Commission at 800.688.8349.

Choosing a workers' compensation lawyer should be done with great care. The law is becoming more and more complex every day. It is virtually impossible for a lawyer to be completely competent in every area of law. Workers' comp law is especially complex and should be handled by attorneys who concentrate on this field. Choosing the wrong lawyer can be an expensive mistake. There are other mistakes you can avoid too.

Brent Adams discusses "The 15 Costly Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Workers' Compensation Claim" in his 2008 book, How to Get Top Dollars For Your Workers' Compensation Claim.

• Failure to report the claim to the employer. NC law requires a claim must be reported in writing to the victim's employer within 30 days of the injury date.
  Failure to file a claim with the Industrial Commission. A claim must be filed with the NC Industrial Commission within 2 years of the date of the accident.
• Failure to inform the doctor of your accident. Your claim will become suspicious if there are no medical records reflecting your injury.
• Failure to keep a job search log. You must prove you're unable to work because of the workers' comp injury--this is also required after you start receiving workers' comp benefits.
• Failure to fully inform your attorney. Whether the facts are in your favor or not, make sure your attorney knows every detail.

Read all 15 Mistakes in a free copy of Brent Adams' book.