A workers’ comp insurer may deny a claim for a few reasons, such as missing medical information, failing to see an approved medical specialist or missing a crucial filing date. Another reason why a workers’ comp claim may be denied is that an insurer believes an injury was not work-related. This can be particularly problematic when someone is injured while doing deliveries, since their every action is not supervised.
It is crucial to establish when and how a workplace accident happened. Here is what you should know:
The circumstances of your injury matter
Typically, injuries incurred while traveling to and from the workplace on your daily commute are not covered under workers’ compensation. However, that rule doesn’t hold true when you’re doing deliveries.
If part of your job involves traveling from spot to spot or various locations to meet with customers and drop off products, you are generally considered to be doing work activity – even after you finish your last delivery and head back to the office or home base. That coverage may not extend, however, to injuries that are incurred on any personal detours. If you stop at a department store on the way back to your workplace to pick up something you need and get hit in the parking lot, for example, you may not be due workers’ comp.
When filing for workers’ comp benefits, it can help to have documents that prove a worker was traveling while on the job. Invoices, calls and work logs can help injured workers dispute a denied workers’ comp claim. It is important to consider California workers’ comp laws when filing for benefits. Injured workers may need to seek professional legal guidance to help them overcome unfair denials.