Workman's Comp Being Denied

That last response was way off! The doctor's do not work for worker's comp. There are alot of claims that are denied, especially ones without a mechanism of injury, like carpal tunnel. When a claim is denied, you have the option to appeal the denial within so many days so act fast. The claim will go to hearing and ultimately a judge will decide if the claim will be approved or not. If it is then again denied, you will have the option to appeal again (I think). Definitely get an attorney that specializes in worker's comp cases and they can better advise you. Also, DO NOT go to the doctor overexaggerating the injury, they see right through that and will make note of it. If it is a legitimate injury, testing will show that. Good luck!

If your husband has been seen by a doctor hired by worker's comp / insurance company, those doctors are paid to report that the patient does not qualify for worker's comp. At the risk of increasing your medical bills, you should continue to see your own doctors to get an unbiased opinion. Document everything, send test results in to the WC board. It is a pain in the neck! I have an old WC claim from a back injury and all I need from WC at this point is for them to continue paying for my visits to the chiropractor. (I am capable of working, and I do, so they aren't sending me checks). I used to go to the chiropractor and PT 3x a week. They have cut me back to 2x a month at the chiropractor, and no more PT at all. Unfortunately it's a game with them and you have to play by their rules if you want proper treatment or if you want to be reimbursed for medical bills.
You can always try to get a free consultation from a lawyer. Even if they choose to not represent you, you may get some valuable advice from them. Ask your doctors if they have any advice for you. And if your husband is scheduled to see a WC doctor, he should act like he is capable of doing nothing!! Anything that the doctor asks him to do physically, he should do very slowly, and do as little as possible. Not that it matters - that doctor already has the paperwork filled out before he even sees the patient! Best of luck to you!

It is tedious, J.. How frustrating for you. I've heard that the first claim is almost always denied if the condition is hard to prove directly connected to employment. I believe WC sends you instructions about how to proceed if you disagree with their decision, yes? Follow those instructions. It's a well-worn path. The fact that you'll stick it out will probably be a point in your favor.

What a system, huh? But WC (most any large program, actually) is dealing with the common problem of people filing unfounded or dishonest claims. Dishonest claimants really throw a wrench in the works for everybody else.

So don't be discouraged yet: take a deep breath, settle down for a longer process, and move forward.

Hi Jaime. sorry you're having a hard time. You don't say where you live and/or what WC company you are dealing with - but I actually work for a WC company in SLC. I'm not in the Claims dept. any more but I used to be. I have worked at this same company for 15 years and can attest the many carpel tunnel cases get paid compensation (both for lost time from work and doctor bills) but they sometimes do get denied. The advise you've received to appeal the denial is sound. Make sure that all your ducks are in a row and if you have any documentation of when the problems started, be sure your current doctor (and yes, you should normally use a doctor on the approved WC doctors list so that you don't get balance billed - at least that's the way in works here) and your claims adjuster know all the facts.
Good luck!