Workers' comp claim denied in Missouri: what to do next

Contact your employer or the insurance company first. If the problem is not solved, you can use the Division's free, voluntary Dispute Management Unit (a mediator works with both sides by phone, usually before a claim is filed), ask for a conference with an administrative law judge, or file a Claim for Compensation.

Your employer's insurer, not the state, usually decides first. If they deny or delay, the free help listed here can explain your options.

Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.

Deadlines are strict. If you are near one, call the state agency or free help today.

If your claim is denied or delayed in Missouri

Who decides: Administrative law judges of the Division of Workers' Compensation; appeals to the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission
First step: Contact your employer or the insurance company first. If the problem is not solved, you can use the Division's free, voluntary Dispute Management Unit (a mediator works with both sides by phone, usually before a claim is filed), ask for a conference with an administrative law judge, or file a Claim for Compensation. Call the Division at 1-800-775-2667 to talk with an information specialist.
Form: Claim for Compensation (WC-21-A)
Deadline: There is no separate deadline to contest a denial; the Claim for Compensation must be filed within 2 years after the injury or the last payment (3 years if the employer did not file a Report of Injury). An application for review of a judge's award must be filed with the Commission within 20 days of the award.
Medical disagreements: If initial or more medical treatment you asked for was refused and you have written medical evidence that it is needed and related to the injury, you can request a mediation (automatically treated as a hardship request) or a hardship hearing before an administrative law judge for a temporary award of treatment or TTD. If the insurer stops TTD, you can request a hearing, which must be set within 30 days.
: Request for Mediation (WC-184)
Request for Hearing - Hardship or Section 287.203 Hardship Hearing (WC-185)
Request for Conference (WC-182)
Appealing the decision: Application for review with the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission within 20 days of the award; then the Missouri Court of Appeals.

Contact the insurer; then the Division's Dispute Management Unit (free, voluntary mediation) or an information specialist at 1-800-775-2667.
If no claim has been filed, request a conference with an administrative law judge (Request for Conference); it is set within 120 days.
File a Claim for Compensation (WC-21-A) with the Division within the 2-year (or 3-year) deadline.
After the claim is filed you can request a pre-hearing, a mediation with an administrative law judge, a hardship hearing (if you need treatment or TTD now), or a final hearing.
Within 20 days after the judge's award, you can file an application for review with the Labor and Industrial Relations Commission.

Law: RSMo §§ 287.203, 287.430, 287.480

Source: labor.mo.gov

Sources

The official sources for Missouri are listed on the Missouri page.

National rules that may also matter

Not covered by state workers' comp?

These federal programs and laws cover some groups of workers instead of, or in addition to, state workers' compensation. If one of them may apply to you, check its rules and deadlines too. They are different from your state's.

Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA): Civilian employees of the federal government, including Postal Service employees. Official page

Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (Longshore Act): Maritime workers such as longshore workers, harbor workers, ship repairers, shipbuilders and ship-breakers, hurt on navigable waters of the United States or on an adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal or other area used to load, unload, repair or build ships. Some groups are excluded. Official page
Longshore maximum and minimum for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 (fiscal year 2027): maximum $2,163.92 a week, minimum $540.98 a week.

Law: 33 U.S.C. 906(b); DOL Longshore NAWW table

Defense Base Act: Civilian employees working outside the United States on U.S. military bases or under a contract with the U.S. government for public works or national defense. Claims are handled by the Longshore program. Official page

Federal Black Lung Program: Coal miners who are totally disabled by black lung disease (pneumoconiosis) from coal mine work, and survivors of miners whose deaths were caused by it. Official page

Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program: Current or former employees of the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors and subcontractors, and certain uranium miners, millers and ore transporters, who became ill from toxic exposures such as radiation, beryllium or silica at covered work sites, and their survivors. The program is set up by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). Official page

Railroad workers (Federal Employers' Liability Act): Employees of railroads in interstate commerce. Instead of a workers' compensation claim, a federal law lets an injured railroad worker sue the railroad for damages caused by its negligence.

Seamen (Jones Act): A seaman injured in the course of employment may bring a lawsuit against the employer, with the right to a jury trial, under the same federal rules that apply to railroad workers.

National help

Your state workers' compensation agency answers questions about claims. Many have a free help line, an ombudsman or information officers for injured workers.

The Legal Services Corporation funds 129 nonprofit legal aid organizations in every state, D.C. and the territories. Enter your address on its website to find one near you. You can also look up legal information and free forms at LawHelp.org. Whether a local program handles workers' compensation cases varies.

LawHelp.org