There are a lot of reasons why you still haven’t got your workers’ compensation check. It could be lost in the mail or sent to a different address by mistake (yes, it happens ). Or if you still haven’t received word about your workers’ compensation claim, maybe your insurance provider is taking their sweet time “processing” it. But if this is not your first payment, it could be that your check is just delayed.
In cases like this, you should talk to your insurance provider. If that doesn’t work, you can go to the nearest Florida Division of Workers Compensation Employee Assistance Office ( EAO ). You can also call them at (800) 342-1741 or e-mail them at wceao@myfloridacfo.com.
Workers’ comp regulations vary by state. But in Florida , you should receive your first workers’ comp check within 21 days (for temporary disability) and 14 days (for total disability and death) after reporting your injury to your employer. The check should come regularly thereafter until you’re not any more qualified to receive workers’ compensation.
Workers’ comp payments may also stop if the insurance provider suspects fraud . Or that you have already reached MMI and are now ready to go back to work. Most of the time, you’ll receive a notice about it before your payments will stop coming.
As mentioned, calling the insurance company should be your first step if you really want to know what happened to your check. Ask for the adjuster or claims representative.
If they tell you that your check was mailed, then it probably just got lost in the mail. If this is the case, you should inform them Take care of all services about your new address (if you moved). Or ask for a tracking number of the mailed check so you can verify it with the courier.
But if they say that they haven’t mailed your check yet, then you should ask them why it got delayed.
Workers’ comp checks get delayed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s just a simple clerical error. You should talk it out with your claims adjuster to know how best to proceed.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for insurance companies to ignore complaints from injured workers. In fact, some of them deliberately refuse to correct any errors on their side to avoid paying benefits.
When talking to them doesn’t work, it’s high time you hire a workers compensation lawyer.