If an injured worker settles a claim in workers’ compensation court under what we refer to as an order approving settlement, they retain the right to reopen their claim. To reopen a claim, the original injury must become worse. If it does, the injured worker may be entitled to additional medical care and/or additional compensation for the increase in disability suffered since the claim was initially settled.
The time frame to file a reopener is two years, and that two-year period begins to run on the day the injured worker receives his or her final settlement.