Licensed in Missouri and Kansas

The Workers' Compensation Claims Process in Missouri

#1: Report an Injury or Illness to Your Employer Immediately

After sustaining an injury on the job or coming down with an occupational illness during the scope of your employment, it is imperative that you notify your employer immediately. In the state of Missouri, all injured workers are given a maximum of 30 days to report an injury to their employer in writing. If they fail to do so in this allotted amount of time, their ability to recover workers' compensation benefits could be jeopardized. Even if they were to wait a couple of weeks before reporting the injury, their employer or the Division of Workers' Compensation may use this as a reason to deny the claim. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you take this step as soon as reasonably possible.

#2: Seek Medical Treatment from an Approved Healthcare Provider

If you were injured in a work-related accident, your employer is required to pay for any medical treatments, prescription medications, medical devices, etc. that are necessary to your recovery. You will not be required to pay a deductible, as all costs will be paid by your employer and/or their workers' compensation insurance company. This subsequently means that they have the right to choose the healthcare provider or physician that you would see for treatment, however, as you would only be able to choose your own doctor if you were also willing to foot the bill. As long as you adhere to these restrictions, you should never receive a bill for the cost of your medical treatment.

#3: File a Workers' Compensation Claim for Disability Benefits

In addition to medical benefits, you may also be able to secure disability benefits for a work-related injury. Depending on the extent and nature of your injuries, these can be claimed in the form of Temporary Partial Disability (TPD), Temporary Total Disability (TTD), Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) or Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits. Each will take into consideration the amount of time that the individual will be unable to return to work, as well as the probability that they will ever be able to return to work. If a worker is permanently injured, for example, they may be able to receive weekly payments for the remainder of their life—as they would never again be able to earn a living.

#4: File an Appeal if Your Initial Workers' Comp Claim was Denied

There are numerous reasons why your workers' compensation claim could be denied by your employer and/or their insurer. If they have reason to believe that your injuries were not actually sustained on the job or there is a dispute over the amount of time that you waited to report the injury to your employer, it is possible that they will deny you the right to secure disability benefits and medical benefits. Under these circumstances, it is highly recommended that you discuss your case with a Kansas City workers' compensation attorney from Meyerkord & Russell as soon as possible. In doing so, you may have the chance to file an appeal and fight for the level of compensation that you deserve.

Have questions about the claims process? We have the answers.

If you still have questions about the workers' compensation claims process, the legal team at Meyerkord & Russell encourages you to take advantage of a free initial consultation today. When you contact our office at (816) 867-8611, you can expect your call to be answered by one of the Kansas City workers' compensation lawyers at our firm. Their legal advice won't cost you a thing, so there is no reason why you should wait any longer to get started. You can also submit a free case evaluation form online if you would prefer – just click here.

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