No one wants to get injured at the job – or – anywhere for that matter. But – when it happens, it is incredibly important to take the right steps and ensure that you are well taken care of. You might have some common concerns and questions about work-related injuries that we are going to address in this article.
Keep reading.
You Have to Report the Injury Right Away
When something like a workplace injury happens, the first thing that the person thinks about is about the financial, physical, and mental strain and how they are going to afford this. The first thing that you have to do when you face a workplace injury is to report it.
There are time limits on everything in worker’s compensation, which means that you have four weeks to report your injury. If you ignore this important aspect, you could lose your rights. The paperwork has to be done within a year but the first thirty days of your injury are the most important.
The clock starts ticking from the very moment you perceive an injury or know that you are injured. Sometimes, you have exposure to chemicals at work, and you aren’t sure that you were hurt, which is why you should know whether or not you have been injured at work.
In the case of the latter, you might find out in a day or two that you have been injured and you need to report it because you have got thirty days from the very day you found out that you were injured. At this point, you might be wondering about the potential consequences when you fail to report it and if you are late.
The answer is that if you have been injured at work and you do not report the injury within thirty days, you can lose your rights, which might prevent you from reporting later.
Be Accurate when Filing a Report
When filing a report, there are some mistakes to avoid. The rule of filing a report is to be accurate and to be complete. In some reports, people write that they slipped and fell. This kind of report indeed reports an injury but it leaves out the details about what actually happened and how it happened.
So, you will want to write some details, such as how you were going into the storeroom to pick up a box and you slipped on some oil. Consequently, you fell on your right side and hurt your elbow, shoulder, and your hip.
By making a detailed report, the worker’s compensation will know what they are recovering and your doctors will know what they need to focus on while treating you.
Get the Right Treatment
People who get injured at their job often wonder about the potential treatment options and which treatment plan is right for them. Firstly, you should find out whether or not your employer is a subscriber. The term subscriber is used for someone who follows the state’s rules or someone who doesn’t follow the state’s rules.
There are other rules the employer might follow, but perhaps not the state’s rules. This aspect will determine whether you have a panel or whether you have a group of doctors, or a preferred provider. If you check with them, everything will go much smoother with the potential treatment plan.
Nonetheless – if you don’t have somebody you decide the next steps based on the potential injury. You might as well get in touch with the Barrera Law Group and find a professional lawyer who will guide you about the subsequent steps after you have experienced a workplace injury. The professional attorney will also ensure that you get the compensation that is rightfully yours.
The Recovery Process
You have to understand that there are rules for just about everything in the worker’s compensation. Your doctor has to be familiar with the rules as well because if they do not – they might not follow them, and they might have trouble getting you back to work.
There are certain time limits on how long workers comp will last. So, if you don’t know the rules and you exceed those time limits, you might not get any further treatment. In this case, if you are not well yet – you may lose your job.
You will want to make sure that your doctor is on the same page with the worker comp’s rules and also understands what they are doing for you. As an employee who got injured at work, it is your duty to push your doctor to treat you in a timely manner.
When we say timely, we mean that if someone tells you that this is your diagnosis and these are the options, you must ensure that you are actually working through the options. The worst you can do is to wait a couple of months to get your first therapy. You will also not want to let a couple of months pass to have your first MRI or whatever it is that you need to get done.
Push yourself and your doctor to get everything done now and not tomorrow or the next day or week.
Final Advice
If you are not getting any type of help or you are confused – the state provides the office of the injured employee. The office of the injured employee is there to help the injured employee. It is there to help you navigate the system.
This aspect also indicates the importance of hiring a personal injury lawyer who understands the rules and how the court system works. This way, the professional attorney will be on your side and help you at every step while safeguarding your rights.
If you don’t act properly while following the rules, you can lose your job, which is why you should never treat workplace injuries lightly while believing that you have plenty of time to file the report and get treatment. There is a timeline for everything and it is your responsibility to keep up with the timeline before you miss the deadlines.
