How Long Does It Take to Receive Workers’ Compensation?

When someone is injured on the job, their primary concern is how bad the injury is. After that, they’ll want to know when they can get back to work. Those two issues are connected by finances. You want to know how much your medical bills will be and how you’re going to lose financially if you can’t work.

Fortunately, for the majority of Maryland workers, there is an opportunity to be compensated for medical expenses and lost wages through the workers’ compensation program.

Workers’ compensation is an insurance policy paid for by the company you work for. It is a program that has been around for nearly a hundred years. Today, the process is streamlined with the goal of providing workers with those much-needed funds as quickly as possible. Although the program does follow regulations for processing claims, not every claim is approved.

If you run into a workers’ compensation claim denial, you’ll want to speak to the attorneys at Belsky & Horowitz, LLC. We’re extremely familiar with the filing requirements for these claims. We also understand the timeline for compliance. If you are having problems with your workers’ compensation benefits, we can help.

First, you should be aware of the facts about how long it takes to receive workers’ compensation benefits. That way, you’ll know if you’re dealing with a problem.

Notification Requirements

In order to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you first have to submit a claim. That begins with notifying your employer about the injury-causing accident. You have 10 days to report the injury to your employer. It is recommended that you don’t wait to make the report. Depending on the circumstances, you should attempt to report the accident on the same day. You won’t know the full scope of the injury, but it will help to establish the timeline.

If a workplace accident has led to a death, the surviving family members have 30 days to report the death to the employer. Suppose the claim is for an occupational illness, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or respiratory problems from job site exposure. In that case, you have one year from the date of the diagnosis to report the injury to your employer.

When you report the accident to your employer, they will notify the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. Your employer could also provide you with the forms and web portals to file your claim.

Processing the Claim

According to the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission, it will only take them approximately two business days from the date they receive the claim to have it processed.

That’s provided that the claim is fully completed. Claims have been sent back if they are missing signatures, employer information, or any other requested data. Unfortunately, you are not able to call the Commission to provide the missing information over the phone. Instead, you have to wait until you get the claim back to fill in the missing information.

Once the claim is processed, it goes to the relevant insurance company for review. Maryland law stipulates that the insurance company has 21 days to issue a ruling after the claim is filed. That will mean approval or denial of the claim.

If the claim is approved, the insurance company has 15 days to begin the agreed-upon payment schedule. If the claim is denied, you have the right to appeal.

Workers’ Compensation Hearing

When a workers’ compensation claim is denied, you are entitled to file an appeal, with a hearing scheduled before the Commission. At that point, you are at the mercy of the Commission’s schedule. It could take several months before your hearing is scheduled. A final decision will then be made within 30 days of the hearing.

How a Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help

While submitting a workers’ compensation claim might seem easy, there is a lot that can go wrong in the process, especially if you don’t fill out the appropriate information. The attorneys at Belsky & Horowitz, LLC can provide support for the initial claim to bolster its chances of getting approved.

If you need to appeal against the claim denial, we also have experience representing you at a commission hearing. We understand what they will look for and how to present your case in the best light. Even if you fully recover from your injury and are back on the job during the claims process, you are still eligible to seek compensation.

Call to talk about what happened, and let’s see how we can help.