Appeal Denied Workers’ Compensation Claim

If you’ve been injured on the job or suffered a work-related illness, you should be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Indiana law requires most businesses to have worker’s compensation insurance, which is intended to provide medical, rehabilitation, and income benefits for injured employees, and death benefits paid to dependents of an employee killed in a work-related accident. Workers are supposed to be covered from their first day on the job, but, too often, compensation awards are disputed or denied altogether by employers and their insurance companies.

Workers’ comp premiums are paid by employers, and since premiums go up when benefits are paid out, employers often dispute claims to avoid paying. Workers’ compensation insurance companies are out for profit and also want to pay out as little as possible, and they retain high-powered lawyers working to deny or dispute benefits. In addition, Indiana rules and procedures for getting workers’ comp are complicated, and making mistakes in filing your claim or saying or doing the wrong thing can result in your claim being rejected.

If your workers’ compensation has been denied, there is still hope, as in many cases your denial may be successfully appealed. Navigating the appeals process on your own can be difficult, but an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help guide you through the appeals process, represent you in hearings or in court, and fight for the benefits you deserve.

At Coriden & Coriden, LLC, our workers’ comp lawyers know Indiana workers’ comp laws and how the system operates, and we have helped many clients with appeals over denied workers’ compensation claims. When you have us on your side, we will take the burden off you and handle all aspects of the appeal process needed to reverse initial benefit rejections and win optimum benefits.

We offer a free consultation to discuss your case and determine the best way to help, so call us today to get started.

Why Choose Our Fishers Appeal Denied Workers’ Compensation Lawyer?

There are many attorneys in Indiana, and you should look for one you not only feel comfortable with, but who has the experience and resources needed to properly handle your claim. Here are some reasons why we believe you should choose Coriden & Coriden, LLC:

  • We are experienced. Our attorneys have nearly 100 years of legal experience between them, and backgrounds that include serving on the state Workers’ Compensation Board as legal advisors, and we have represented thousands of clients from initial filings to appeals at the Supreme Court of Indiana. Attorney Tim Coriden concentrates his practice in the areas of Workers’ Compensation and Civil Litigation and advises both clients and attorneys on the rights and remedies of injured workers.
  • We have a long track record of success, and you can read our testimonials from satisfied clients.
  • We have been recognized for our excellence by Best Lawyers.
  • We know Indiana’s workers’ compensation laws inside and out.
  • We understand what you are going through and will be available to answer your questions and provide you with guidance and timely, personal service at all times.

How a Workers’ Comp Appeal Lawyer in Fishers, IN, Can Help You

Time is of the essence when appealing a denied workers’ compensation claim. When you have us on your side, our Fishers workers’ comp lawyers will get to work for you immediately. Depending on the circumstances of your case, we will:

  • Meet with you to discuss how your injury happened, evaluate why your claim was denied, and determine what your claim should be worth and the best approach to making your appeal
  • Make sure you know what to say and do to meet Indiana workers’ comp requirements and prevent hurting your case
  • Investigate how the accident happened, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence such as photos, videos, and work and medical records to help prove your claim
  • Make sure you get proper medical care and that everything is documented as evidence to prove your case
  • Initiate an informal dispute by filing a Request for Assistance (State Form 45442) with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Indiana
  • Hire a mediator, a trained and neutral party who attempts to come to a resolution of disputed issues
  • Appeal a workers’ comp denial. Our attorneys would start by answering any objections and providing additional supporting medical documentation, or we can submit to an independent medical exam and file an appeal. If still denied, we would file an application for an adjustment to your claim with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Indiana for review to have the initial denial overturned.

How To Appeal Workers’ Comp Denials

Our Attorneys Help with the Workers’ Comp Appeal Process

The process of appealing a workers’ comp denial is complicated and may require several steps if claims continue to be denied. These are:

  • Informal Dispute Resolution. Our Fishers workers’ comp attorneys would start the appeals process by filing an Application for Adjustment of Claim (SF 29109), which must be done within two years of the date of your injury. The Worker’s Compensation Board would then set up a pre-trial conference or a hearing before the appropriate Single Hearing Member of the Board. At the hearing, each party presents evidence, with the injured worker having the burden of proving that the injury was work-related. After examining the evidence, the Board Member would decide upon an award.
  • Full Board Hearing. If either party is dissatisfied with the award, an appeal may be filed with the Board within 30 days. A hearing will be set where legal arguments are made by each side to the full Worker’s Compensation Board, which prepares and serves a written award upon the parties.
  • Further appeals. If the decision is still unfavorable, our attorneys can make further appeals to the Court of Appeals, and then to the Supreme Court of Indiana.

Fishers Indiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Explain the Appeal Process

What Happens if My Claim is Disputed or Denied?

If your legitimate claim is disputed or denied, our worker’s comp attorneys in Fishers are prepared to fight for your rights. Depending on the individual circumstances of your case, we can:

  • Initiate an informal dispute by filing a Request for Assistance (State Form 45442) with the Workers’ Compensation Board of Indiana
  • Hire a mediator, a trained and neutral party who attempts to come to a resolution of disputed issues
  • File an adjustment of claim. Our attorneys would start the appeals process by filing an Application for Adjustment of Claim (SF 29109), which must be done within two years of the date of your injury
  • Attend a hearing. The Worker’s Compensation Board would then set up a pre-trial conference or a hearing before the appropriate Single Hearing Member of the Board. At the hearing, each party presents evidence, with the injured worker having the burden of proving that the injury was work-related. After examining the evidence, the Board Member would decide upon an award.
  • Have a full Board Hearing. If either party is dissatisfied with the award, an appeal may be filed with the Board within 30 days. A hearing will be set where legal arguments are made by each side to the full Worker’s Compensation Board, which prepares and serves a written award upon the parties.
  • Make further appeals. If the decision is still unfavorable, our attorneys can make further appeals to the Court of Appeals, and then to the Supreme Court of Indiana.

Get Help to Appeal Workers’ Compensation Denials

Getting turned down for workers’ compensation can be devastating when your life has been turned upside down by a workplace injury or illness, but you do not have to fight for your benefits alone.

At Coriden & Coriden, LLC, our Fishers workers’ comp attorneys deal with a wide range of work-related injuries and illnesses, as well as wrongful death actions that result from work injuries. We have decades of legal experience helping clients just like you who have been injured on the job, and know how to appeal unfair denials. In addition, if your employer does not have insurance and you are injured on the job, you may be able to bring a lawsuit for personal injury against your employer. Talk to our attorneys to see if this is possible and what is the best route for getting the benefits you are entitled to.

No matter what the cause of your work-related injury or illness, the compassionate lawyers at Coriden & Coriden, LLC in Fishers, Indiana, are here to take the burden off you and help you get the compensation you deserve. Let us take care of all the paperwork, deadlines, documentation, legal requirements and appeals, so you can focus on your recovery.

Call our Fishers worker’s compensation lawyer today to get started on 812-9800.

Attorney Terry Coriden

Terry Coriden practices worker’s compensation law as a Partner at Coriden & Coriden, LLC. His entire professional career as an attorney has been committed to worker’s compensation law and making a difference in his community. He is also highly experienced in mediation. Terry is a member and past president of the Bartholomew County Bar Association, a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, and a former board member of the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF). [ Attorney Bio ]