Legal landscape note: This article was originally published in 2015 and describes the law as it stood at that time. New Jersey law changes frequently.
"TeamCOMP": An Inside Look at How the Insurance Companies View Your Work-Related Injuries
By Michael Gorny, Esq.
You were hurt on the job in New Jersey, and the insurance company has already assigned a team to manage your claim. Understanding what that team is working toward -- and what you are actually entitled to -- is the first step in protecting yourself. An injured worker is generally entitled to three types of benefits: medical treatment, temporary disability payments, and permanency benefits. Employers in New Jersey are obligated to either carry approved insurance coverage to ensure their workers receive such benefits or to register with the state to prove they have enough assets to self-insure for such benefits.
"In the traditional approach to medical management, nurses or medical experts are brought into the process late, which means medical information critical to the claim may be unrecognized, diluted, or lost," explains Doug Markham, Executive Vice President of Avizent's Managed Care Service division. "In addition, the nurses and case managers often work for an organization other than the claims management provider, and may not share the same level of commitment to the client's goals." As an injured worker in New Jersey, it is ever-increasingly important to have an experienced workers’ compensation attorney guide you through the process, to ensure that you receive all of the benefits that you are entitled. Without an attorney, you run the risk of becoming a cost-cutting measure that the insurance companies desperately seek to drive up their profit margins.
The workers' compensation benefits guide details the three benefit categories discussed here.