Given the bevy of jobs that require physical labor, it is not uncommon for an injury to occur at one’s place of work. For those working in the construction industry, an accident can prove to be quite serious due to the particularly dangerous work done at a construction site. Employees are required to handle heavy machinery while working inside unfinished, and sometimes unstable, structures.
If an employee is injured while performing their work, they are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. This can include medical care bills and compensation due to lost wages.
Process for obtaining compensation
Under Alabama’s workers’ compensation laws, in order to receive benefits, the injured employee is required to report the injury to their employer. The employee is then treated by a physician listed on the employers’ insurance.
Any medical bills incurred from the treatments are subsequently reimbursed by the employer’s insurance. However, if the employee received treatment that was not authorized by the employer’s insurance, the employee will not receive compensation for those bills. Prior to returning to work, an independent medical exam conducted by a different physician to assess whether the employee can return to work.
Hiccups in the process
Even after the employer files the report and is treated by the employers’ primary care physicians, there are cases where the employers or insurers don’t fully reimburse the employee’s medical expenses. In situations where the employee’s workers’ comp claims are denied, the employee has up to two years to file a claim against the employers’ insurance company.
Learning that an employer will not reimburse one’s medical bills can be frustrating and confusing. An attorney who has experience in workers’ compensation law can help the employee and their family by gathering the necessary paperwork and represent the employee’s case against the insurance company or the employer.
A workplace injury should not need to result in additional pain, and should a workers’ compensation claim be denied, it is still possible to challenge a ruling and push for much needed compensation.
