subject: Silence Is Golden- Filing An Insurance Claim [print this page] As many of you know, when you are injured on the job, the employer or its insurance carrier will contact you to discuss the details of your case. They may also claim you are required to sign forms and complete paperwork. They may wrongly tell you that you MUST sign medical releases in order for your medical treatment to begin. Almost always, a company or insurance representative tricks the employee into making admissions or statements that lead to a denial of the claim.
The less you say about your claim the better off you are until you have sought the advice of a lawyer. You are required to notify your employer that you have been injured, you are required to give the date the injury occurred (if you remember) and the circumstances. You do not need to remember the exact details 100% correctly.
Describing your complaints and injuries in general terms is always better than trying to be specific. For example, if your injury developed over time, do not attempt to give a date that the injury occurred. Tell the employer that you do not know a specific date of your injury. If you are having numbness and tingling in your hands, tell the employer that your arm is bothering you such that the doctors will not be limited to examining only your hands. If your job requires many different movements, do not limit your injury to one specific task unless you are absolutely sure that is what caused your injury.
Finally, and most importantly, ONCE YOU HIRE AN ATTORNEY DO NOT SPEAK WITH ANYONE FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY, THE EMPLOYER, OR THE INSURANCE COMPANY LAWYERS WITHOUT YOUR ATTORNEYS KNOWLEDGE. Hill-Boren represents a significant number of former Goodyear employees regarding all types of cases including reconsideration of prior settlements, new injuries and hearing loss claims. In some cases, the employees are being called by the insurance company and told to appear at the offices of Goodyears attorneys to give a recorded statement---even though the employee has an attorney. If you have a case and have talked to an attorney, do not fall into this trap.
If you have been seriously injured on the job, you are probably entitled to worker's compensation benefits. Back strains, neck injuries and carpal tunnel are all common in the work place and can cause a loss of income and peace of mind. Worker's comp is designed to reduce the amount of money you lose due to an on-the-job injury.
by: Robert Hill
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