More Than 20 Years Of Experience Standing Up For Minnesota Workers

We Can Help After A Denied Workers’ Comp Claim

Employers in Minnesota and western Wisconsin are required to comply with their respective state’s workers’ compensation laws. Some employers turn to outside insurance companies, while others have their own self-insurance plans. Workers’ comp is intended to cover wage loss and medical expenses related to physical injuries, mental health conditions and occupational illnesses.

Unfortunately, businesses and insurance providers often care more about their profits than helping you recover. For that reason, many claims are denied in the workers’ comp system. In other situations, there are business incentives for insurance companies to short-change a victim or to stop paying benefits as early as possible, often to the detriment of an injured worker who remains entitled to vital benefits.

If your initial claim was denied, we can fight for your right to benefits. Call St. Paul attorney Gretchen Hall for your free consultation at 651-371-6008. We are here to answer all your questions about workers’ compensation.

A Background In Insurance Defense — Beneficial Insight To Fight Denials

The Law Office of Gretchen Hall is a premier workers’ comp law firm based in St. Paul, serving all of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Our founding lawyer gained valuable experience in the insurance defense industry prior to starting our practice. Now, she dedicates her skill to help injured workers gain the respect and compensation they deserve from the workers’ comp system. When you work with Gretchen Hall, you benefit from an attorney with 20 years of experience and strong insight into the insurance industry.

We help workers who face:

  • Denied workers’ compensation claims: A large number of valid claims are denied from the outset. We know the strategies used to deny claims and stand strong to counter those tactics.
  • Premature discontinuance of benefits: Some workers are approved for benefits early on, but then they receive a Notice of Intention to Discontinue Benefits (commonly referred to as a NOID letter). This means the insurance provider plans to stop paying wage loss benefits. We evaluate your unique circumstances and will challenge the insurance carrier’s attempts to prematurely cut off benefits.
  • Refusal to pay medical expenses: Medical treatment, surgery or chiropractic care may be necessary for your well-being, and the workers’ comp carrier is required to provide medical benefits for work-related conditions. Other valid benefits include medical bills, physical therapy and potential vocational training if your injuries prohibit you from returning to your former role. We will explain the full scope of benefits and can fight the insurance companies when they treat you unfairly.

Insurance companies want you to return to work as soon as possible, but they are not always willing to wait until you are physically capable of working. Denying or terminating benefits saves them money — at your expense. Cutting off benefits or denying a claim often tempts injury victims to give up and return to work when they are still suffering.

We Answer Your Questions About Workers’ Compensation Denials

If you face resistance or the outright denial of your claim or if you just have questions, you deserve to understand your rights. We are committed to open communication with our clients and providing aggressive advocacy to make things right. We want to provide you with answers to questions like the following.

Why are workers’ compensation claims denied?

There are often situations where a lot of time passes after you file your claim and before you get a response. What is happening there?

Silence is a difficult thing to get while you wait for information about your injury treatment compensation. It can feel like you are getting the runaround or that they are sneakily denying your claim. However, you should know that there are some legitimate reasons for a claim denial, such as:

  • Your employer disputes that you have an injury.
  • Your employer disputes the injury as work-related.
  • Your employer alleges improper reporting.
  • The medical treatment charges are excessive.

If your employer denies your claim, you should simultaneously receive a reason for that denial. However, anything less than total clarity will likely cause you additional stress and difficulty.

Why are workers’ compensation benefits cut off?

Another common scenario is that an individual’s workers’ compensation benefits stop. If your benefits payments stop if:

  • You’ve reached the maximum benefit for your plan.
  • Your company disputes some part of your treatment.

There are many scenarios where benefits may stop after some time, but those are the main ones. As an injured worker, you have many rights regarding your treatment under Minnesota law. We can pursue your claim if necessary to get the treatment you need.

Why is medical treatment denied by workers’ compensation?

There are legitimate reasons for a workers’ compensation plan’s denial of a type of treatment. It could be that the treatment is experimental or part of an “alternative medicine.” There could be significant skepticism about whether the treatment is “medically necessary.” However, there are times when the denial of benefits isn’t tied to a legitimate care concern and is more about your company’s bottom line. That’s when you must take action.

This could be an overall denial of benefits, but a specific surgery or procedure also may be denied for a variety of reasons, such as workers’ comp saying it’s not necessary or it’s an alternative medicine that isn’t covered.

Call To Arrange A Free Case Evaluation With An Experienced Lawyer

If you have questions or concerns about your claim’s denial or discontinuance or if you just have questions, we invite you to call 651-371-6008 to arrange a free consultation. You may also contact us online to learn more about your rights. Your initial consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation on your behalf.