Many New York construction workers are injured when working on a construction site each year. Many construction site accidents come from slipping, tripping or falling and the resulting injuries are serious and sometimes deadly.
Recent statistics show the prevalence of injuries in the construction injury. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost one in five workplace deaths in 2021 occurred in the construction industry. Additionally, the construction industry made up 46.2% of all fatal slips, trips and falls that same year.
When you suffer an injury on a construction site that puts you out of work, the costs can quickly add up, leaving you wonder what your options are for recovery. You should immediately file a claim for workers’ compensation with your employer.
Reasons for a denied claim
However, this does not always necessarily mean you will receive enough workers’ compensation benefits to cover all your expenses. Your claim could also be denied altogether, which is why you should be prepared for anything.
For example, your employer might claim your injury was not work-related or that it was not serious enough for you to be out of work. Even if the injury occurred on the construction site, your employer could claim that the action you took that led to the injury is not covered by your workers’ compensation benefits.
You also face potential challenges from the workers’ compensation insurance company. They are likely going to want you to settle the case for the smallest possible amount of benefits.
Sometimes a denial is due to a simple mistake on your part, such as not submitting a claim in time, seeing the wrong doctor or not following your doctor’s instructions because you were not aware that you were required to keep your benefits.
You have a right to benefits
Although the workers’ compensation process can work smoothly, sometimes complications like these can arise and you should know how to handle them if they do.