If your workers’ compensation checks stop in D.C., do not wait around hoping the insurance company fixes it. First, make sure your most recent work note is up to date and has been sent in. A work note is the paper from your doctor that says if you are out of work or working with restrictions. If that note is missing, late, or outdated, your checks can stop. If your money has not shown up and you are getting no clear answer, contact us. We can help you figure out what is causing the delay and what needs to happen next.
What To Do First If Your Check Stops
Start with your work note. If your doctor says you are still out of work, the note needs to clearly say that. If your doctor gives you restrictions, the note needs to clearly list them. A lot of people assume the insurance company already has everything it needs, but that is not always true. Sometimes checks stop because the note was never updated after the last appointment, never got sent in, or does not clearly match what the doctor told you.
Do Not Leave Without The Note
Make sure you actually get the work note before you leave the appointment. It is harder to track it down later, and mistakes happen. We also want you to look at it before you leave and make sure it says what your doctor actually told you.
Why Workers’ Compensation Checks Stop
There are a lot of reasons checks get delayed or stop. Sometimes the adjuster forgets. Sometimes a supervisor has to approve it. Sometimes the computer system messes up, the address is wrong, or the automatic payment system fails. They will always have an excuse ready.
Sometimes It Is The Insurance Company
Remember, the adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. Their job is to reduce what the insurance company has to pay. Even if the adjuster sounds friendly, your case is still one of many on their desk, and you are not going to be their priority when things get busy.
Sometimes It Is Missing Updated Paperwork
In D.C., the insurance company can stop benefits for many reasons. Your own doctor may not have sent in updated paperwork. The insurance company may question whether you should still be out of work. They may send you to their own doctor and try to use that against you. Sometimes people even need a hearing to get their checks restarted.
If Your Check Still Has Not Arrived, Contact Us
Give us a call at 202-393-3320. Do not keep getting pushed off while the bills keep coming. When you are out of work after a serious injury, those checks are not extra money. They help you pay rent, utilities, groceries, and keep things going at home while you recover.
We help injured workers deal with delayed checks, missing payments, and insurance companies that keep pushing things off instead of giving a straight answer. We follow up with adjusters every time a check is late. We call, email, and fax until the problem gets fixed. And if it does not get fixed directly, we go to court.
Check out this video where Attorney Frank Kearney explains the common reasons for a late or missing workers’ compensation check:
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