Dealing with a workers’ compensation claim is not a pleasurable experience for either employees or employers. Employees are dealing with the results of an injury, time off of work and bills. Employers are left with paperwork and the task of deciding if they are dealing with fraud.
There are many red flags that employers look for when trying to determine if a workers’ compensation claim is valid. When certain conditions are present, employers may suspect wrongdoing on the part of the injured employee.
Factors about your claim that could raise an employers’ suspicion
When making a valid workers’ compensation claim, the following can cause employers to doubt:
- Lack of witnesses: When an injury takes place at work and there are no eye-witnesses, it will almost always cause a red flag for an employer.
- Monday or Friday: When an injury or illness is reported first thing Monday morning or at the end of the day on Friday it can lead employers to suspect that the incident could have happened over the previous weekend or that the employee is wanting to have a long weekend.
- Delay in reporting: Many times, an employee will delay in reporting a workplace injury in the hope that it will get better on its own. However, employers may look at this as a red flag.
- History of conflict: If you have had problems with your employer and then have an injury it can raise some eyebrows. If an employer views an employee as “disgruntled,” then their workers’ compensation claim will probably be scrutinized.
Many factors may make an employer suspicious of your workers’ compensation claim, such as choosing a different doctor. However, the above are some of the most common ways to cause your injury claim to be red flagged.
If you are having difficulties with your workers’ compensation claim it can be helpful to have professional guidance to make sure that your rights are protected during an injury.
