When you work from home and get injured on the job, you can expect a fight to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Insurance companies are simply more suspicious of workers who did not get injured in the office.
Working from Home Raises Insurance Companies’ Suspicions
While working from home is a great convenience for many employees, it automatically makes the insurance companies think that workplace injuries are not real. Unfortunately, insurance companies suspect that work-from-home employees must have been injured doing personal activities rather than work. Or if the injury did happen doing work, the insurance company will try to show that it is the employee’s fault – he should have requested an ergonomic keyboard or asked a coworker to come over and help perform a task, for example. The lack of witnesses to most injuries does not help.
As a result, you may face an immediate denial of your claim for workers’ compensation benefits when you work from home. Again, the denial could happen for a number of reasons: the suspicion that the injury was not work-related, blaming the employee, or claiming that the employee is not injured at all. Some people who work from home are incorrectly classified as independent contractors, leading to yet another reason for claim denial.
Your Next Steps If You Work From Home
Employees who work from home and are facing denials of their workers’ compensation claims should consider seeking legal representation. A lawyer can help you counter the insurance company’s suspicious and accusations. If you are labelled as an independent contractor but believe you are an employee, your lawyer can develop evidence to satisfy the legal test that will allow you to receive benefits.
Winning a workers’ compensation case takes time and effort, which work-from-home employees rarely have. Your lawyer will spend the time instead of you, so that you can focus on recovery and returning to work.
Need help getting workers’ compensation for your injury that happened in your home office? Joe Osterbauer, Esq. and the Osterbauer Law Firm stand up for injured Minnesota workers’ rights. Joe’s 27 years of workers’ compensation experience and his team’s speedy service combine to get clients the results they need. To schedule a free consultation, visit Osterbauer Law Firm online or call Joe’s office at (612) 334-3434.
