Workers' Compensation Lawyer: Filing for an Extension
Posted on: 17 May 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many families grieving and struggling. If you're one of the millions of workers who find themselves still out of a job, a workers' compensation lawyer can help you file for an extension of your benefits.
Here are some steps a workers' compensation lawyer can take to help extend your benefits.
Documenting a Need
Workers' compensation benefits are predicated on need. When you're filing for an extension of your workers' compensation you must document both your continued need for benefits and your reason(s) for remaining unemployed.
Financial Disclosure
Making a full disclosure of your financial status can be tricky. If the records you share with your workers' compensation representative appear to contain the wrong type of assets, your extension can be denied. Your workers' compensation lawyer can help you prepare a financial disclosure document that shares only relevant financial information required by your state. For most clients, this includes your most recent W2s and your most recent paystubs (when you were still working). Before you file for an extension of your workers' compensation benefits it's always a good idea to have your application reviewed by an experienced workers' compensation lawyer.
Jobless Status
Explaining why you remain unemployed can be difficult to document on a government form. However, if you do not explain why you remain jobless, your request for an extension is likely to be denied. A workers compensation lawyer can help you articulate your continued jobless status. When explaining this position, it can be important to explain the context and extenuating reasons for your jobless status. For instance, including job applications you've filled out or job interviews that didn't quite go your way, can show that you're actively looking for a job.
COVID and Other Circumstances
Although it appears the COVID pandemic will soon be behind us, many industries have been changed forever. If your ability to work has been impacted by COVID and other circumstances, your workers' compensation lawyer can help you cite these causes when you apply for an extension of your benefits.
If you or a loved one contracted COVID-19, you might be experiencing prolonged health complications. This "long haul" status can make it difficult to work and require extensive medical support. If you're citing prolonged COVID-19 symptoms as the primary reason for your workers' compensation extension, you may need to provide medical records that show why your health complications make it difficult to work.
To learn more, contact a workers' compensation lawyer near you.
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