How Insurer Disputes Can Extend Your Claim
Even when your injury is definitive, the insurance company may not cooperate. In Pasadena, the length of a workers’ compensation claim often depends on whether the insurer chooses to fight. They may contest whether the injury occurred on the job, dispute your recommended treatment, or demand an independent medical evaluation, each of which adds significant time to the process.
Under California Labor Code § 5402, the insurer has 90 days to accept or deny your claim after you submit the claim form. If your insurer denies your claim, you have the right to appeal before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB). A WCAB hearing can add months to your case. Our attorneys know how to challenge insurer decisions and repel tactics designed to delay or reduce your benefits.
What Role Does MMI Play in Closing Your Case?
Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) is when your reviewing physician determines the condition has stabilized and that further treatment is unlikely to improve your health. This milestone is critical; your claim cannot formally close until you reach it. Once there, a physician assigns a permanent disability rating that shapes how long your workers’ compensation claim in Pasadena remains open and forms the basis for settlement discussions.
Insurance companies sometimes challenge disability ratings by ordering their own evaluations, pushing the resolution of your case further down the road. Our lawyers could counter those challenges and advocate for a rating that accurately reflects your condition. The earlier you involve us, the better positioned we are to move your case toward a fair resolution.
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