How to Check the Status of a Workers’ Comp Claim

How to Check the Status of a Workers’ Comp Claim

Different states and insurance carriers provide different methods for checking the status of a workers’ comp claim. Those options may include checking an online portal or an app, calling the insurance company, and contacting the governmental body that oversees workers’ compensation in your claim.

The status of your workers’ compensation claim may be a source of uncertainty and anxiety. You can hire a Minnetonka workers’ compensation lawyer to monitor the progress of your claim and press the insurance company to resolve the claims process as efficiently as possible.

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Ways to Check Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Status

You should have full information about the status of your workers’ comp claim, but it is not always obvious how to obtain that information. You can check the status of your workers’ compensation claim by:

Directly Contacting the Insurance Company

Nobody knows more about the claims process than the insurance company. Therefore, it may be logical to directly contact the insurance company and:

• Ask about the current status of your claim
• Ask if there is any information the insurer needs from you to move the claim forward
• Ask for a realistic timeline for resolving the claims process

Of course, you can have your workers’ compensation attorney handle all of these communications for you.

Contacting Your Employer 

Your employer will likely be the one who filed the claim, and they may be in frequent contact about the status of your claim. The employer may have details about your claim status that you have yet to gain access to.

When interacting with an employer about a workers’ compensation claim, you must be cautious. Your words can be used against you during the claims process, so you should consider allowing a lawyer to contact your employer for you.

Using Mobile Apps or Websites

In Minnesota (and other states), there are deadlines for insurance companies to begin paying injured workers the benefits they deserve. Your workers’ comp claim attorney will ensure that liable parties stick to these deadlines and resolve your claim in good faith.

Potential Reasons for Delay During a Workers’ Compensation Claim

If you find yourself waiting on the resolution of a workers’ comp claim, it is important to find the holdup in the claims process. Your workers’ compensation attorney may find that:

There Are Investigation-Related Delays

The insurance company may face challenges during the investigative process, such as:

• Difficulty contacting those involved in a work-related accident
• Delays in obtaining video footage related to your claim
• Difficulty determining the exact cause of a work-related accident

Your attorney may provide information that helps the insurance company complete its investigation as soon as possible.

The Claims Adjuster Is Not Giving Proper Priority to Your Claim

Insurance companies are dealing with countless claims at one time. If the insurer has not taken every step to advance your claim as quickly as possible, your attorney will demand that they do.

The Insurer Is Delaying to Increase Financial Pressure on You

An insurance company may extend a lowball settlement offer to save money. Knowing that injured workers may be in a difficult financial position, the insurance company may extend the offer, wait to proceed with your claim, and hope you will eventually accept the offer.

Your attorney (with your permission) will reject any unfair settlements and continue negotiating with the insurance company.

Experienced workers’ comp lawyers do not allow insurance companies to drag their feet or engage the client in bad-faith tactics.

Reasons to Have a Lawyer Take Over Your Workers’ Comp Claim

Avoiding the headaches of dealing with insurance companies is one reason to hire a lawyer, but it is far from the only one. Injured workers hire attorneys because:

• They want to get better as soon as possible: If possible, you likely want to recover from your work injury as soon as possible. By hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer, you won’t have to worry about the details of your claim. This should give you more time to focus on recovery.
• They put stock in a lawyer’s experience: An attorney’s history leading workers’ compensation claims is one of the strongest reasons to hire them. The claims process can be highly complex and unpredictably challenging, so the experience should prove valuable.
• The law firm makes it an easy financial decision: Most workers’ compensation lawyers don’t charge an upfront fee to the client. The law firm only receives a fee if it secures money for you, and the firm will pay all costs associated with your case.
• The law firm has the ability to file lawsuits: While workers’ compensation insurance generally protects employers from lawsuits, there are cases where injured workers can sue a liable third party. If you are eligible to file a lawsuit, you may be glad to have a lawyer who can lead a lawsuit for you.

An attorney is also a safeguard for your rights. Your lawyer will serve as a point of contact for your case, and they will provide advice any time you have a question or need to take claim-related action.

Who Is Eligible for Benefits Through Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

Each state employs its own rules and practices for workers’ compensation insurance. In Minnesota, every employer must purchase workers’ compensation insurance, self-insure, or provide benefits similar to the role of workers’ comp insurance services.

In Minnesota, those covered by workers’ comp include both:

• Full-time employees
• Part-time employees

If you have any questions about your eligibility to seek workers’ compensation benefits, an attorney will answer those questions for you.

What Types of Losses Does Workers’ Compensation Insurance Cover?

There are three primary losses workers’ compensation covers, which are:

• A portion of your lost income
• All medical expenses for a work-related injury or disease
• Vocational rehabilitation necessary to return to work

While these categories are general in nature, the specifics of each work injury and illness vary in detail. Your lawyer will identify your specific covered losses and seek fair compensation from the insurance company.

Types of Medical Care You Can Seek Compensation For

If you have a medical cost related to your job, you should receive compensation to cover the bill. Covered medical services include:

• Ambulance transport
• Emergency department care
• Surgery
• Diagnostic imaging and other diagnostic procedures
• Specialist appointments
• Hospitalization 
• Rehabilitation

Your attorney can discuss whether other procedures and services entitle you to compensation; insurance companies must ensure that workers covered by workers’ compensation do not pay out of pocket for medical care.

How Much Is a Workers’ Compensation Claim Worth?

The value of each workers’ compensation claim is different. When your attorney is calculating their settlement demands, they will consider:

• The specific injuries you have suffered
• Medical services you have already received
• Medical services you will receive in the future
• Your average earnings at the time you suffered an injury or became sick

Your lawyer will collaborate with your employer and medical providers to secure the necessary information. For those with serious injuries or illnesses, the value of a workers’ compensation claim may be high.

What Your Lawyer Will Do to Secure a Fair Workers’ Comp Settlement

Your attorney will make your claim their business, taking the claims process (and any necessary lawsuit) off your hands. An attorney’s role in a workers’ compensation claim may include:

Maintaining Contact with the Insurance Company

If your lawyer is going to resolve your claim, they must know where it stands and how it can move forward. Therefore, they will establish contact with the insurance company and remain in touch throughout the claims process.

By dealing with insurance companies (rather than having you do so), your lawyer will:

• Protect you from attempts to undermine your claim
• Permit you to focus on your health above all else
• Urge the insurance company to handle your claim in a timely manner

Your lawyer will inform you if you must make a statement or take other steps related to your workers’ comp claim.

Gathering Evidence About Your Work-Related Injury or Illness

Your attorney will obtain any evidence that is relevant to your claim, which may include:

• Coworkers’ testimony about an event that caused an injury
• Video footage of any event related to your claim
• Expert testimony about how your work injury or illness happened
• Any tests that indicate a toxic workplace 
• Any other evidence that helps illustrate the cause of your injury or illness

Insurance providers may question aspects of your claim. An insurer may even try to blame you for your injury or illness. Your lawyer will seek evidence that will render such accusations moot.

Securing Employment Records

Your attorney may need to gather incident reports, past income statements, and other job-related records that are relevant to your claim.

Documenting Your Medical Treatment

Your medical costs will be an important focus of your workers’ compensation claim. Your attorney will:

• Be in touch with your doctors to learn about your injuries
• Secure any images of injuries (including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans)
• Get a copy of doctors’ diagnoses of your injuries and symptoms
• Rely on any experts whose testimony or services help detail your ailments and medical needs

Before your lawyer negotiates a settlement, they will have complete information about (and evidence of) your injuries and medical needs.

Calculating a Precise Settlement Demand

Your lawyer will prepare a specific settlement target before negotiating with insurance companies. This figure will account for your current losses and any losses you will experience in the future.

Completing Negotiations

Lawyers thrive when negotiating settlements. Your lawyer will prepare all relevant documents and evidence, and seek a fair settlement offer from the insurance company.

A Workers’ Comp Attorney Will Explain Whether You Are Eligible to Sue

Workers are entitled to reasonable protections in the workplace. There are cases where an employer’s negligence may be egregious or where employers fail to purchase workers’ compensation insurance and are vulnerable to lawsuits.

There are also instances where a third party—rather than the employer—creates circumstances that lead to an injury or illness. You can generally sue third parties responsible for a work injury or illness, and examples of such circumstances include:

• A company makes faulty scaffolding that collapses, causing injury to one or more workers;
• A safety equipment manufacturer’s helmets prove faulty, resulting in a traumatic brain injury;
• An employee of a third party causes an accident on a worksite, causing a victim to break multiple bones.

While these are hypothetical scenarios, they are realistic ones reminiscent of accidents that happen every year. Your lawyer will fully investigate the circumstances of your work injury or illness and determine whether you are eligible to sue liable parties.

How Do I Find a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?

Injured workers might find their attorneys online, through friends and family, and by contacting law firms they are already familiar with. You may want a law firm that:

• Handles workers’ compensation claims (not every firm does)
• Has an extensive history of helping injured and sick workers get fair compensation
• Has a reputation for transparency, compassion, and elite client service
• Makes a strong impression during your free consultation

If you consider objective criteria (like case results) and trust your instincts, you will find a law firm to handle your claim effectively.

Now Is the Time to Hire Your Workers’ Comp Attorney

There is no time to delay when seeking compensation for a work-related injury or illness. Don’t wait to hire your workers’ comp lawyer.