Aggravation Claims

An aggravation claim is a way of reopening a case so the worker can get more time loss and additional medical treatment. The claim is started with an 827 form completed by the doctor and worker. The “aggravation” box needs to be checked and the form, with medical documentation, forwarded to the claims processor. There is a 60-day time limit for accepting or denying these claims but they are often ignored.

The “aggravation” process is difficult and usually not successful. There are often better ways of reopening a claim. The worker should call an attorney well before the time limit expires for an aggravation. The time limit is 5 years from the first closure of the claim. After that time, benefits are still available under the “own motion” framework, but these are limited compared to those available through claims still in the “aggravation period.”