Many times, we’ll receive a call from an individual, an injured worker, who tells us “My employer is contesting my claim. My employer’s insurance company won’t pay. What do I do?” First what we do is ask you to come in and review the entire situation with us so that we understand the nature of the injury, the facts and circumstances, what you’re treatment either has been or needs to be and then based with that information, we can negotiate on your behalf with either your employer or their insurance company. Many times, after we provide the documentation for your claim, an employer and their insurance company will concede, often gradually but they will concede, that we are correct and your are entitled to benefits. If, however, they do not, we will file a request for hearing with the workers’ compensation commission. There, a commissioner (judge) will review the manner, attempt to mediate the dispute and in many cases, will be successful in doing so. If, however, we can’t reach an agreement and we believe that you should pursue the matter further, then we’re going to request a formal hearing or a trial to get in adjudication, a formal judicial decision by a commissioner as to the validity of your claim and how much you’re entitled to.
Marc N. Needelman is an experienced workers’ compensation attorney, located in Hartford, CT. Contact an experienced lawyer with questions regarding your specific case and get a free initial consultation.