Being injured or falling ill at work can rob you of money. You presume that, as an employee, your workers’ compensation will help to pay for all or part of your medical needs. Nonetheless, workers’ comp investigations may take up to 90 days more often, and any additional time may force you to rearrange your finances or take a loan. In these cases, consulting an iowa workers compensation attorney can assist you in the legal formalities.
What Qualifies Late Workers’ Compensation Payment?
Compensation payment is certainly a basic component of the workers’ compensation system and plays a major role in the process as well. The employer has to send the payment by post to the claimant at the address where the claimant presently resides, as recorded in the file of the Workers’ Compensation Commission, within two weeks of the payment being due. Any payment made fifteen days and above from the last compensation-covered payment is considered late.
Make sure the checks you are writing cover are written during the correct dates. Delayed payment is not confined to falling two weeks behind a given day of the week or date in the month or even two weeks from the last payment. Two weeks will start counting after the last date is paid for. For instance, if the last check was received on December 4, showing that it is from December 2 to December 8, the next payment is late after two weeks from December 8 or December 21. Your employer has 14 days from the last payment covered to make other payments that may be required on workers’ compensation. The law does not seem to favor an employer who misses this crucial duty.
The Conventional Way Of How To Collect Penalties For Late Workers’ Comp Benefits
State laws normally provide for the imposition of the late penalty only where the insured’s delay was beyond the insurance company’s control. However, where late penalties are required at a particular time, they tend to be hefty and are not typically warranted. This means that if a penalty is due, then there is no need to file any paperwork or argue for it at the hearing.
The insurance company was to add the penalty to the next check you receive without having to request it. If it doesn’t, however, you should demand the penalty in writing. If you still do not receive the money you are entitled to, then you will have to request your state’s workers’ compensation agency to compel the insurance company to make the penalties.
If you’re negotiating a penalty for an unreasonable delay, you will likely need to submit a request or a petition to the state workers’ compensation agency.
A workers’ comp judge will then conduct an assessment to determine whether the penalty should be imposed. In some states, the judge may also require the insurance company to pay your attorney’s costs for getting the money.
Seek the Services of a Workers’ Comp Attorney over Late Payment Bonuses
If your checks are continually late, the insurance company never responds to your demand for a penalty, or you think the insurer is deliberately delaying your payments without just cause for doing so. It is time to consult with a workers’ comp lawyer.
An attorney who is acquainted with this field will tell you about the laws in your state that pertain to your case, will, if necessary, accompany you to a hearing, and will assist you in obtaining all of the money you are entitled to.
