What Should I Do If I Am Injured at Work?
A workplace injury can impact your life in many ways. While an injury causes harm to you physically well-being, it can also do serious damage to your financial well-being.
A large majority of people who experience a workplace injury need to stop working temporarily to properly recover. A loss of work also means a loss of wages. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you can end up spending large amounts of money on expensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. A serious workplace injury can even permanently affect your ability to return to your previous job.
Workplace injury compensation provides benefits to individuals who have experienced a workplace injury. Compensation can help to cover the cost of lost or decreased wages as well as the cost of medical treatment needed as a result of the injury. If you have been injured at work, it is important to know what steps to take to ensure you receive the proper benefits of workplace injury compensation.
Speak with Your Employer
It is very crucial to notify your employer as soon as the injury occurs. According to the law, you must inform your employer within 90 days of the injury to be eligible for workplace injury compensation. Although you have 90 days, it is recommended to notify your employer as soon as possible to ensure you receive all of the benefits available to you.
While it is considered acceptable to notify your employer verbally, you should also request to fill out an official incident report. In the report, explain when and how the injury occurred and describe the symptoms you are experiencing. Once you have finished filling out the report, give one copy to your employer and keep one copy for yourself.
Submit A Claim
After you have notified your employer, the next step is to file a claim for workplace injury compensation. By law, a claim for workplace injury compensation must be made within two years of the injury. It is recommended to file your claim immediately after notifying your employers of the injury. Many insurance companies are suspicious of claims that are made long after the incident occurred and will try to deny delayed claims.
Ask your employers to provide you with the required forms to submit your claim for workplace compensation. Once you have completed the necessary paperwork, your employer is responsible for notifying their worker’s compensation insurance company of your claim.
Speak to An Experienced Lawyer
Worker’s compensation law can be confusing to navigate on your own. Often insurance companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying workplace compensation or will fail to notify of you all the benefits that are available.
An experienced workplace compensation lawyer can help you get the maximum amount of benefits that you are entitled to. If you have experienced a workplace injury, contact a lawyer to get advice on the best way to pursue your workplace compensation claim.