While working for an employer, there are chances that you could be injured on the job. Some jobs have a high chance of being injured on the job such as an electrician or lower risk jobs such as a desk job. Even if you are being very careful, accidents and injuries happen while on the job. If you are injured on the job, you are eligible for workers’ compensation. This gives benefits to the injured employee such as pay if they are not able to work and medical care coverage. To make the process easier on yourself, hire a personal injury attorney that can help you through all the paperwork and get full compensation. Here are the basic steps for workers’ compensation.
Report the Injury
If you are injured on the job, it is crucial that you report it as soon as you are able to. This is best so that you are able to remember exactly what happened and what was injured. Even if you feel that you are not injured seriously, the incident should be reported. This is because maybe in a few days you will start to feel things such as a back injury that is a result of the incident. Be sure that you report the injury to the correct person and that it is documented.
Receive Medical Treatment
Depending on the severity of the injury, you may be able to treat it with a first aid kit on site. If your injuries are more serious, medical care should be sought out immediately. Depending on the state and what workers’ compensation plan the company has the process of payment for medical treatment will vary. Many medical facilities will want to collect information such as a case number and contact information for the workers’ compensation.
Employer Reports the Injury
After the employee has reported the injury to their employer, it is the employer’s job to submit the injury claim to their workers’ compensation provider. Depending on the provider and plan, there will be specific forms and information that is needed to start processing the claim.
Claim Approval or Denial
Once the claim has been submitted, the workers’ compensation provider will have to decide if they want to approve or deny the claim that was submitted. They will look through the claim to ensure the injury happened during the job and that it is not a fraudulent claim. If the claim is approved, an information packet will be sent to you. This will contain the incident report and the benefits that are included with the workers’ compensation.
Also read: How To Make Sure That Your Employees Are Safe at Work.
Work With Your Employer
Throughout all of these steps, be sure that you are working alongside your employer and communicating with them. Report the injury, get medical treatment if needed, have your employer submit the report, and then wait to see if the workers’ compensation provider will approve or deny your claim. Your employer should be understanding while you go through this process and while recovering if needed.