Workers' compensation

When the insurer says no

Workers' compensation is meant to be straightforward: you are hurt on the job, and the insurance covers your medical treatment and part of your lost wages. In practice, carriers deny claims, dispute treatment their own doctors recommended, and cut off benefits while people are still injured.

That is the point at which most people call us.

Situations we handle

• Denied claims — the carrier disputes that the injury is work-related, or disputes it happened at all.
• Terminated benefits — weekly payments stop without warning, often after an insurer-arranged examination.
• Disputed treatment — surgery or therapy your treating doctor recommends is refused.
• Return-to-work disputes — you are told to return to duties you are not medically able to perform.
• Permanent impairment — a lasting injury that affects what you can earn going forward.
• Third-party claims — where someone other than your employer contributed to the injury, there may be a claim beyond workers' compensation.

What to do after a workplace injury

1. Report it to your employer in writing, and keep a copy. Verbal reports get disputed later.
2. Get medical attention and tell the provider the injury happened at work, so it appears in the record.
3. Keep everything — letters from the insurer, medical bills, mileage to appointments, dates you missed work.
4. Do not give a recorded statement to the insurance company before you have spoken to a lawyer.
5. Watch the clock. New Hampshire sets deadlines for reporting and filing, and missing one can end a valid claim.