When you want to make a claim for workers' compensation, you typically start the process by working with your employer. Normally, your employer sends in paperwork about your injury to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, who then reviews it and provides you with the compensation you need for medical bills and other needs if you've been injured long enough to receive it.
The initial claim takes two-to-three business days to be filed from the time it arrives at the Bureau. If information is missing, it will have to be sent back, so that could make it take longer. The Bureau of Workers' Compensation can't alter the document if you call in to add information, so make sure you fill out your paperwork fully.
You can actually check the status of your claim online or by telephone by calling Maryland's Workers' Compensation Commission. If it has been approved, you should receive your payment no more than 15 days after the date of the acceptance of your workers' compensation benefits. If you've not received it at that point, it's important to contact the WCC or an attorney to make sure you know what has happened to your benefits. If you're taking a settlement, then this could take longer to process, although it should still be paid within 15 days of being awarded the compensation.
If your workers' compensation claim is denied, you do have the option to appeal that decision. The same is true if your employer won't send in your information; you can file on your own behalf and make sure your injury is noted by the state.
