Common Workers’ Compensation Delay Tactics

Under Vermont law, all employers are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance. In Vermont, after an employee suffers an injury or illness in the course of their employment, they rely on workers’ compensation to cover various damages and expenses, including medical expenses and lost wages. However, workers’ compensation insurance companies rarely make the claims process easy for injured or sick employees. Workers’ compensation insurance companies are focused on maximizing profits, and one way to maximize profits is by minimizing the amount of money they pay out to claimants. A common strategy workers’ compensation insurance companies use to reduce the amount of money they pay out to claimants is delaying the claims process. After you file your claim, the workers’ compensation insurance company may use several delay tactics, hoping you give up or accept a lowball settlement offer. In this article, we expose some of the common delay tactics workers’ compensation insurance companies employ to get out of paying injured or ill employees the benefits they are entitled to;

Lack of Communication

The workers’ compensation insurance adjuster may decide not to respond to your emails or calls. They may ignore your inquiries or requests for information. The insurance adjuster may withhold updates or information regarding the status of your claim. Lack of communication may be an adjuster’s deliberate strategy to slow down the claims process and frustrate you. They may be trying to push you to the point of giving up or accepting a low settlement offer.

Slow Communication

Another common delay tactic used by workers’ compensation insurance companies that is akin to the previously discussed tactic is slowing down communication. By delaying responding to your emails or calls, the adjuster slows down the claims process, which can make you frustrated.

Disputing the Validity of the Claim

The workers’ compensation insurance company may delay your case by disputing the validity of your claim. The insurance company may unjustly argue that your injury or illness is not work-related or as severe as you claim. They may argue that yours is a pre-existing condition or that your injury was self-inflicted. In a case where the workers’ compensation insurance company tries to unjustly dispute the validity of your claim, you can fight back by presenting evidence that supports your claim.

Requesting More Unnecessary Information

Another common delay tactic the workers’ compensation insurance company may employ is requesting more unnecessary information after you have provided all the necessary information. Asking for irrelevant details may be a tactic to prolong the claims process and confuse or frustrate you. Gathering unnecessary information places an additional burden on you, which can lead to you getting stressed and giving up or accepting a low settlement offer.

Insisting on a Recorded Statement

Giving a recorded statement to the workers’ compensation insurance company is rarely a good idea. A recorded statement can be used against you to devalue or deny your claim. If you refuse to give a recorded statement and the workers’ compensation insurance company keeps pressuring you to do so, that could be a delay tactic intended to frustrate you.

Contact a Vermont Workers’ Compensation Attorney

At Sluka Law PLC, our Vermont workers’ compensation attorney is committed to helping you fight against these and many other delay tactics. Contact us today to get the help you need and deserve.

Source:

labor.vermont.gov/sites/labor/files/doc_library/Fact%20Sheet%20For%20Employers.pdf