In most states, an injured worker who receives a claim denial must hire an attorney or navigate a complex appeals process on their own. Nevada is different, offering a lifeline to these workers in the form of free legal help from the Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers (NAIW) agency.

Unfortunately, according to the Nevada Current, too many injured workers have no idea this help is available.

According to an NAIW representative, the agency could handle nearly twice as many cases as it took on last year. Moreover, the NAIW is undeniably effective at safeguarding injured workers’ benefits, winning the majority of cases last year and posting a 10-0 win record in appeals to the Nevada District and Supreme Courts.

Every provider and injured worker advocate in Nevada should spread the word: if a payer incorrectly denies an injured worker’s claim, the NAIW is ready to help.

The NAIW’s Role

When a payer initially denies an injured worker’s claim, the worker has 70 days to appeal by requesting a hearing. At this first stage of appeal, the worker is not eligible for NAIW help.

However, if the worker disagrees with the decision resulting from the hearing, they have 30 days to escalate the dispute to an Appeals Officer by submitting the Request for Hearing Before Appeals Officer form (below) to the Hearings Office.

The form includes a space to sign to request NAIW assistance.

Notably, Nevada’s state web page for the Department of Administrative Hearings Division links to a version of the Request for Hearing Before Appeals Officer form that does not include the notice and signature line to request NAIW representation. This may help explain why at least some injured workers fail to request the agency’s help.

In addition to free representation for Appeals Officer hearings, the NAIW offers free procedural advice and general information. Injured workers in Northern Nevada can call (775) 684-7555 or (775) 684-7559 or email naiw@naiw.nv.gov. Injured workers in Southern Nevada can call (702) 486-2830.

NAIW: A Winning Record for Injured Workers

In 2025, the NAIW won 53% of its 654 cases; out of 10 appeals at the Nevada District and Supreme Courts, the NAIW won every single time.

Bear in mind that the NAIW, unlike private law firms, does not have the luxury of picking and choosing cases they’re most likely to win; their services are available to any injured worker who seeks them, making their win rate impressive.

According to the NAIW, their attorneys can handle more than 1,000 cases annually. However, the fact that the agency only handled just 654 cases last year indicates something tragic: hundreds of injured workers with denied claims either:

• Didn’t know the NAIW was available to help,
• Needlessly paid private attorneys, or
• Gave up on seeking benefits

NAIW administrator Maria Atkinson told the Current that many claims are denied for simple procedural errors, like missing deadlines: precisely the kind of missteps the NAIW exists to help injured workers avoid.

Crucially, help from the NAIW comes at no cost to the injured worker or the taxpayer.

The agency is funded entirely by employers’ workers’ comp premiums and workers’ comp insurers’ assessments. It’s a laudable example of a state agency allocating the system’s resources to level the playing field for injured workers.

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