Communication Mistakes
Oftentimes, it’s essentially an employee’s mouth that’ll get him or her into trouble. Iowa workers’ comp attorneys see plenty of cases in which oversharing or unclear communication quickly sour Iowa Workers’ Compensation claims.It’s important to only talk about your case with your lawyer and your doctor, and be as clear and honest as possible. Saying too much to too many people, overstating or understating your condition, or trying to do too much physically before the doctor has “okayed” your activity could spell disaster for your case.
For example, try avoiding things such as:
- talking to an old work colleague about your claim;
- downplaying or exaggerating the extent of your injury with your doctors;
- showing false bravado with coworkers (comments about your injury such as “it’s no big deal” or “It’s not that bad; I’m fine” could easily diminish your claim); and
- going skiing or kayaking after a few chiropractic appointments (If you’re feeling better after treatments, that’s wonderful, but wait until the doctor approves the activity, so as not to discredit your claim.)
Legal Mistakes
Hiring an attorney is the absolute best thing you can do to make sure your Iowa Workers Compensation claim is handled quickly, carefully, and successfully. However, this is also an area that many injured employees mess up.Not only is finding the right attorney important but once you’ve begun working with a Iowa workers comp attorney, you’ll still need to do your part in making sure things stay on track.
Avoid blunders such as not getting references from your attorney (references and testimonials are key to evaluating the efficacy of your lawyer); and assuming the lawyer will handle every single little detail throughout the claim process (your attorney will handle the bulk of the responsibility, but you’ll still need to stay organized, perform regular follow-ups, and keep track of what’s going on in any particular stage of your claim).
The more you know and the more aware you are, the more likely you’ll have a successful resolution for your workers’ comp case.