If you experience a workplace injury, there are quite a few things you should do. If you neglect to do certain things, you may lose your rights to compensation so be sure to act quickly and smartly.
Follow these guidelines to ensure your rights to compensation are protected:
REPORT YOUR INJURY
Notify your supervisor and/or employer of your injury as soon as possible, within 3 months (90 days).
ENSURE YOUR SUPERVISOR/EMPLOYER WRITES UP AN ACCIDENT REPORT
If your supervisor neglects or refuses to do this, you should write a letter documenting the facts of your injury and deliver a copy of the letter to your supervisor for review. Keep a record of when you give the letter to your supervisor and, if you can, get him/her to sign a receipt saying they’ve received it.
GET A COPY OF YOUR ACCIDENT REPORT
KEEP NOTES OF DETAILS SURROUNDING YOUR INJURY
This includes all details, even the small ones – workplace conditions at the time of the accident, witnesses, people you’ve contacted regarding your injury, names of supervisors, insurance company representatives, doctors notes and contact information, etc.
SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE THROUGH THE DOCTOR SELECTED BY YOUR EMPLOYER OR YOUR EMPLOYER’S INSURANCE COMPANY
Demand to seek care until it’s provided.
EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHAT HAPPENED TO CAUSE THE INJURY TO YOUR DOCTOR
Make sure the doctor understands that the injury was caused by a workplace accident and ensure you get documentation of your medical evaluations and procedures. Try to get the doctor to note, in writing, that the injury resulted from work.
FOLLOW ALL MEDICAL DIRECTION GIVEN TO YOU BY THE DOCTOR
Your employer may argue that you decided not to get proper care. And may claim that you feigned your illness to get out of work.
IF THE DOCTOR RECOMMENDS YOU AVOID CERTAIN ACTIVITIES AT WORK WHILE YOU HEAL, SUCH AS HEAVY LIFTING OR PHYSICAL EXERTION, GET THE DOCTOR TO WRITE IT DOWN
Get at least 2 copies of this, one to keep for your records and one to give to your supervisor
MAKE SURE YOUR DOCTOR SENDS THE BILLS TO YOUR EMPLOYER FOR PAYMENT
If you need help with understanding what you need to do following a workplace injury, contact The Clardy Law Firm. Our experienced workers comp attorneys are ready to help. We’ll sit down and guide you through the right steps to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
