The idea behind workers compensation is that this state-mandated insurance compensates injured workers for lost wages and medical disabilities when they are hurt on the job. In exchange for this guaranteed coverage, workers give up the right to sue their employers for their work-related injuries.
While that is a simple explanation of how it works, in reality workers comp is very complex and confusing. The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which administers the program, publishes pages and pages of rules and regulations governing workers comp.
Understanding Murfreesboro workers comp law
These rules and deadlines must be respected or initial claims for worker comp in Murfreesboro can be denied. But not every worker or work-related injury fits the mold exactly. While workers comp is there to compensate injured workers, on occasion these workers are denied benefits and forced to put up a fight to get the compensation they need and deserve.
After all, your employer and its insurance company will not likely put the financial health and well-being of the claimant at the top of their priorities. They will insist the claimant prove the injury is definitely work-related rather than a pre-existing condition. The claimant must also prove the injury is the reason he or she cannot work.
Insurance adjusters and employers may also deny claimants if they violated workers comp rules or do not prove their case. The following issues or violations can result in a denial of worker comp in Murfreesboro:
- The injury is not work-related but possibly a pre-existing condition
- The injury is not disabling to the degree you claim
- The injury occurred because the worker violated company policy
- The injury occurred while the worker was committing a serious crime
- The worker was intoxicated or on drugs when the injury occurred
- The injury was self-inflicted
- Once approved, you collect weekly benefits according to well-defined payment rules and schedules.
Consult us about Murfreesboro workers comp laws
Because the process is very complex, it is advantageous for an injured worker to have legal assistance and representation in filing the claim and fighting for benefits. Having a lawyer on your side from the start is especially beneficial down the road if the initial claim is denied and an appeal or litigation becomes necessary. So it is advisable to obtain the help of a qualified, caring lawyer, such as the attorneys at Craft & Sheppard, PLC.
