Filing a Claim
The steps that decide most claims before anyone argues about the law: reporting the injury and the deadlines that can end your case, proving the injury happened at work, handling a pre-existing condition honestly, the independent medical exam, what to do when the insurer refuses to authorize treatment, and whether you need a lawyer.
All Filing a Claim guides
- How to Prove Your Injury Happened at Work
How to prove a work injury for workers' comp: the two-part legal test, key evidence, and hard cases like unwitnessed falls.
- How to Report a Work Injury (and the Deadlines That Can Kill Your Claim)
Two clocks start the moment you're hurt at work: notice to your employer and filing your claim. Both deadlines vary by state, and missing either one can cost you benefits.
- Workers' Comp and Pre-Existing Conditions
Hurt a bad back or old knee injury again at work? Learn why aggravation of a pre-existing condition is usually covered by workers' comp.
- The Independent Medical Exam (IME) in Workers' Comp
What an Independent Medical Exam (IME) really is in workers' comp, why insurers request one, how to prepare, and what to do if the report is unfavorable.
- The Statute of Limitations for a Workers' Comp Claim
The deadline to file a workers' comp claim varies by state and injury type. Learn when the clock starts, what pauses it, and what to do if you're late.
- What to Do After a Workplace Injury
Hurt on the job? Report it in writing right away, get medical care, and follow your claim steps closely - missing a deadline can cost you benefits.
- Do You Need a Workers' Comp Lawyer (and How Do Fees Work)?
When a workers' comp claim needs a lawyer, when it probably doesn't, and how contingency fees and agency fee approval generally work.
- Utilization Review: When Comp Denies the Treatment Your Doctor Ordered
Your doctor ordered treatment and the insurer said no. Here's what utilization review is, why it happens, and how to appeal it fast.
- Can You Choose Your Own Doctor in Workers' Comp?
Whether you can pick your own doctor for a workers' comp injury depends on your state's rules. Here's how the systems differ and what to do.
- What to Say (and Not Say) After a Work Injury
Report promptly, describe every symptom honestly, and stay consistent - plain-English guidance on what helps and what hurts a workers' comp claim.