Attorneys
Last Updated: 5/18/2023
Every year we receive hundreds of calls from injured workers and this is a question that we hear often. The short answer is yes, the workers comp insurance company can stop paying you weekly checks for any reason or no reason, just like you can stop paying the bills that you owe, which is what may happen if they stop paying you. There are laws in Iowa that require the insurance company to provide you with 30 days' notice under certain circumstances, known as an Auxier notice. For example, if you have returned to work and the insurance company believes they have paid you all the PPD (permanent partial disability) benefits they owe, they are supposed to send you a letter notifying you. However, in practice, often times they will just stop or delay your weekly check without notice to you.
So What Can You Do?
First of all, if you are not represented by an attorney you should call the insurance adjuster to find out why you have not received your check. Sometimes, it is a mailing delay due to a federal holiday and other times the insurance adjuster simply forgot to hit a button to guarantee that your check is printed and sent. Regardless, you should keep a copy of the envelope and the check you receive so later on you can prove the date when the check was actually mailed. Often insurance companies will claim the checks were mailed on a certain date according to their computer system when in reality it was not postmarked until several days later. An insurance company can be penalized up to 50% of the amount you are owed for late payments, which are called penalty benefits. This is something that insurance companies do not voluntarily pay, so if your checks have stopped or have been continually late, you should consider consulting an experienced and qualified Iowa workers' comp attorney.
What If You Still Have Questions?
If you have questions about your weekly checks or just your Iowa workers' comp case in general such as "When do workers comp payments stop?", then feel free to give us a call. We offer Iowa injured workers a no-cost work comp. case evaluation and review. Also, we offer you at no cost a copy of the Iowa Workers' Compensation Guide which explains the Iowa Injured Workers' Bill of Rights, how you can avoid the 7 common costly mistakes, and much, much more. To request your copy, click here, Chat Here Now, or CALL 641-792-3595. For immediate assistance or to schedule your no-cost, no-risk case evaluation, CALL (641) 792-3595 and ask for Corey or Erik.
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