If you have a pending New York State Workers’ Compensation claim there are many circumstances where it is highly recommended that you consult with an attorney regarding your legal rights and responsibilities.
One such circumstance is when the insurance carrier has filed a C-7 form. This form is entitled Notice That Right To Compensation Is Controverted. Essentially this means that the insurance carrier is contesting your claim and refusing to make payment on it. Often times, filing of the C-7 by the insurance carrier represents the beginning of litigation surrounding whether or not there is any liability on the insurance carrier’s part to make payment on your claim.
The insurance carrier may be objecting to your claim for any number of reasons or for no reason at all. If your employer and their insurance carrier does not believe that you were injured at work or believes that your current disability is not related to a work injury but something else, they may file this form. If you believe that you did not report your claim as required by law, they may also use the C-7 form to fight your case.
There are many reasons why insurance carriers controvert claims. In some instances, they routinely file C-7s without doing any investigation at all and controvert virtually every case.
If you have been notified that you case is being contested or received a C-7 form it is time to speak with an attorney.