In theory, almost all workers categorized as “employees” should have access to workers’ compensation insurance coverage through their employers in the event they get hurt or sick on the job. In practice, though, the insurance companies that provide this coverage will not just sign off on giving you benefits without a thorough investigation—and more importantly, not unless you jump through the right procedural hoops to inform them about your accident and the physical harm it has caused you.
Filing for workers’ compensation in Reno can be much more complicated than many workers assume it will be, and when you are dealing with a debilitating injury or illness, “complicated” can quickly grow to mean “impossible to accomplish without professional help.” Fortunately, the help you may need is available from the knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorneys at Shook & Stone, where we have years of experience helping people like you get every cent of the benefits they deserve.
Initial Steps in the Workers’ Comp Filing Process
To start a workers’ comp claim in Reno, you will first need to notify your employer of your work-related injury or illness by filling out Form C-1, Notice of Injury or Occupational Disease, and submitting the completed form to them. After that, you will need to seek medical treatment from a provider your employer or their insurance provider has authorized for workers’ comp coverage. Within three days of receiving treatment and no more than 90 days after initially getting hurt or sick, you must complete and submit Form C-4, Employee’s Claim for Compensation/Report of Initial Treatment to your employer’s insurance provider.
At this point, the proverbial ball is in the insurance company’s court, and they have 30 days to review your petition for benefits and notify you through the mail whether they have approved or rejected it. In the meantime, it is important to continue attending doctors’ appointments and following your doctor’s instructions. Otherwise, the insurance company will have a perfect excuse to deny your claim based on the fact that your injury must not actually be severe enough to need the recommended treatment.
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What Happens if the Insurance Company Rejects My Workers’ Comp Claim?
Suppose your employer’s insurance company rejects your benefits claim altogether or refuses to provide all the benefits you requested after a Reno workplace accident. In that case, you have a few options for continuing the workers’ comp filing process. In some circumstances, you can fix minor errors in your initial application by sending updated documentation to the insurance company or providing further evidence from your healthcare provider(s) establishing that you were injured as severely as you claim and that the injury was directly work-related.
In other situations, you may need to go through a formal appeals process, which begins with requesting a hearing from the state Department of Administration. From the moment you first receive notice of the insurance company’s decision on your claim, you have 70 days to formally request a decision from a Hearing Officer.
A Reno Attorney Could Help With Filing for Workers’ Compensation
The process of filing for workers’ compensation in Reno can be time-consuming, legally complicated, and difficult to get a good result from, even if you have lots of evidence proving that you should be covered by your employer’s workers’ comp policy. If there are any questions about exactly how your accident happened and what injuries you suffered because of it, it will be even more important for you to have help from knowledgeable legal counsel throughout the claims process.
One of our workers’ compensation lawyers at Shook & Stone could discuss your unique case and offer guidance about next steps during a free consultation. Call today to start working on your claim.
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