Being injured can be an unfortunate experience that can hinder your physical abilities as well as affect your mental health. When an injury happens at work, it can seem like a messy situation that can be overwhelming to deal with. Below, we’re going to share with you the steps you should take after the injury to ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
When you are injured, you should seek medical attention. It doesn’t matter where you go to get help, your doctor or the emergency room, as workers compensation will cover your initial visit. You don’t need to get any sort of authorization from your employer to get medical assistance. However, it’s a good idea to notify a manager or other official at your place of work of your injury.
File an Accident Report
All workers’ compensation lawyers will tell you that you’ll need to file an accident report for your benefits to kick in. This report is typically filled out by your supervisor. While it doesn’t have to be done right when your injury occurred, it should be done within a reasonable amount of time. Each state has their own deadline for when an accident report must be submitted. If you miss the deadline, you can lose your workers compensation benefits for that injury.
Understand Your Rights
It’s important to realize that you have a lot of rights that come along with your workers compensation benefits. From paying for medical bills to providing you with income during the time you’re off due to your workplace injury, your lawyer can inform you of your various rights. It’s also vital that you understand your limitations under workers compensation. In most states, you’re limited in your legal ability to sue your employer when they have workers compensation. Again, an experienced lawyer can assist you in understanding these legal limitations.
Make Sure You Get Referrals
To receive the compensation that you need to pay for your medical bills, you need to get referrals from your medical professional. If you seek out the medical assistance of a professional without getting a proper referral from your primary physician, your benefits don’t kick in. Only referred visits to specialists are covered under your workers compensation benefits.
Being injured at work can be a terrifying experience in itself. Dealing with the monetary commitments of doctor’s visits, missed work, and so forth can be stressful. By understanding the tips above, you can better navigate through these issues.