We had a former client who came to us years after he was harmed in a construction accident because his injury never healed. This lack of recovery has kept him from working steadily.
We couldn’t help him.
In his case and in other cases, it’s too late. Let’s look at why.
The claim process is long and complicated, especially if your injury is a recurring one. And your employer’s insurer has a strong interest in making that process easier for itself and not for you.
Know Your Rights
Insurance companies are corporations, like any other public company, whose duties are to look out for policyholders (such as your employer) and their shareholders. So you need to be aware of what can go wrong and protect yourself.
The insurance company can let you down in two ways:
- Trying to end the process prematurely
- Trying to delay your treatment to get a medical opinion that minimizes their costs
This is why you need to be informed about the claims process in NJ and what your rights are. Nobody else, other than your attorney, can look out for your rights when you’ve been injured.
N.J. Tries to Treat Workers Fairly
The good news is that New Jersey workers’ comp laws and workers’ comp courts as well look favorably upon workers’ rights. They know you are just one person up against a whole company, which has more knowledge and more resources than you do.
That is why hiring an attorney is a good idea to help you navigate the process.
Things the companies won’t tell you include:
- Important deadlines
- How to appeal
- How to challenge your claim
And more. In the case of the injured construction worker, he came to us 26 months after he was injured, which is past the deadline for filing a formal claim petition. We wish we could have taken his case, but it was too late.
