Worker’s Compensation Claim Insurance Question
Q: I filed a workers’ compensation claim for an injury to my hands. The insurance company wants to know every job I have had my entire life and is scheduling me to see one of their doctors. What is going on and do I have to cooperate?
A: Oregon Workers’ Compensation Claim law allows insurers up to 60 days to make a decision about accepting a claim. That means within 60 days after you filed your claim, the insurance company is required to do its investigation, which typically includes taking your statement, getting your medical records, and sometimes scheduling a medical appointment. Insurance companies can choose the doctor they send you to. Unfortunately, most of these doctors have an insurance bias and do not always agree with your doctors regarding the nature of your injury and its relationship to your work activities. By law, the injured worker has a duty to cooperate with the insurer’s investigation which usually means giving truthful and complete answers to the insurer’s questions, provided they are relevant to the claim, and obtaining an evaluation arranged by the insurer. You have the right to be represented, at no charge to you, during this process. The insurance companies are required to pay the injured worker’s attorney fees.
If you have questions, contact an attorney