Thwarting Sneaky Tactics During A Worker's Comp Claim

If you are hurt on the job, you are likely entitled to worker's comp money for your injuries and the time that you miss on the job. Unfortunately, not all employers will cooperate when you try to file a worker's compensation claim. Here are some common ways that your boss can try to hurt your claim, and what you can do about them.

Ask You to Come Back to Work

Your boss may try to get you to come back to work while you're injured, with the promise of a light workload. However, this can look very bad for your case. It signifies to the judge that you are well enough to return to work. You are not obligated to come into work when you have a medically verified worker's comp claim pending.

Ask You to Use Your Regular Insurance

Your boss may also try to avoid the worker's comp system by having you use your regular health system, but you should always avoid this. By using your medical insurance, you may be certifying that your accident was not work related, therefore damaging your chances of getting worker's compensation money.

Spy on You

Some tricky bosses may try to collect information about your personal life in order to catch you doing something that doesn't corroborate your injury story. Make sure that your personal email accounts and social media accounts don't show pictures of you exercising, going on vacation, or buying an expensive new possession; this evidence could limit your ability to prove the severity of your injury to a judge.

Stall

Some bosses may try to take a long time to provide paperwork and payments for your worker's comp claims. If this is the case, you'll need a lawyer to advocate for you and speed the process along.

If you are in the position of having an uncooperative boss during your worker's comp trial, the best thing that you can do is to hire a worker's comp lawyer. This person can help to make the process of negotiating with your boss during a trial less personal, so that you can avoid hurt feelings during the process. Your lawyer will also put pressure on a boss who is trying to skirt the law when dealing with your case. No matter how you proceed with an uncooperative boss, your lawyer will be available to help you determine your rights and options for the case.