In theory, your employer should provide you with certain workers’ compensation benefits after you get hurt or sick on the job, provided that you report your injury as required and attend all your doctors’ appointments on time. In practice, though, your employer generally is not the one making decisions about what benefits you receive or whether you receive any benefits in the first place. Unfortunately, the insurers who are making those choices do not have your best interests at heart.
Dealing with workers’ comp insurance companies in Las Vegas is hardly ever an enjoyable experience, but it does not have to be an overly stressful or unsuccessful one either. Here are some of the ways in which your workers’ comp insurance company might try to keep you from getting the benefits you need, and some ways a seasoned workers’ comp lawyer from Shook & Stone can help you overcome this kind of opposition.
Common Tactics Used by Insurers Against Claimants
The primary advantage that workers’ comp insurance companies have over claimants in Las Vegas is that they know you need money, and you need to go through them to get it. With that in mind, insurance companies will often unnecessarily drag out various parts of the claims process for as long as-and sometimes even beyond what-they are allowed to under Nevada state law. They will often stonewall and delay just as much during settlement negotiations at the end of a claim as well.
In addition, insurance companies of all kinds rarely miss a chance to take ill-advised or poorly phrased statements in bad faith and use them as an excuse to claim that an injured worker does not actually need all the benefits they are seeking. In some cases, an insurance company might even directly dispute the reports generated by your doctors or records kept by your employer, all in an attempt to either avoid paying you altogether or pressure you into accepting a lowball settlement offer just to get the whole process over with.
Negotiating Effectively for Fair Workers’ Comp Benefits
While Las Vegas workers’ comp insurance companies can sometimes act underhandedly, they also often know that what they are doing will not hold up to much scrutiny. Because of that, just having legal representation to begin with can sometimes be enough to convince an insurance provider that your case is not worth haggling over, since they know your attorney will not allow you to be unlawfully pressured or harassed.
Legal counsel can also help you:
- File appeals of workers’ comp claims or benefits denials
- Present a strong and comprehensive case during settlement negotiations
- Establish that you are following all the rules applicable to you in order to keep your claim on track
Put simply, a lawyer from Shook & Stone can take all the guesswork out of your workers’ comp claim, both on your end of things and the insurance company’s.
A Las Vegas Attorney Can Help Deal With Workers’ Comp Insurance Companies
Understanding your rights is one thing, but enforcing them can be another thing entirely. Nevada’s workers’ compensation system requires insurance companies to process claims within specific timeframes and provide written explanations for denials, but enforcement varies significantly across different carriers. The insurance companies that provide workers’ comp coverage to your employer know that all too well, and they are also all too happy to use their experience, not to mention financial resources, to protect their own bottom line at the expense of injured and sick workers who need the benefits they should legally be entitled to.
You can even the odds against workers’ comp insurance companies in Las Vegas by seeking help from our capable workers’ comp attorneys. Call Shook & Stone today to discuss your options.
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