When injured on the job, you want to avoid the mistakes that can cost you when filing a workers’ compensation claim. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can protect your legal rights and get the benefits you need and deserve.
When you have suffered an injury at work, you’ll want to know what to do and what not to do.
Immediately reporting the injury
Not reporting an injury in a timely manner is a common mistake made by workers. If you wait more than 30 days after your injury, you could lose your right to workers’ compensation benefits. You’ll want to report your injury or illness to your employer as soon as you can. Make sure to follow your employer’s policies, if any, when reporting and responding to accidents in the workplace.
The worker’s choice of doctor
If the injury permits so, go to the emergency room. You should see a doctor as soon as possible after an accident at work. However, if it is not a serious injury, you should ask your employer if they require you to go to a certain doctor. Because workers’ compensation is provided at no financial cost to you, your employer has the right to choose the medical provider. This may cause some frustration as you are used to your regular doctor. Just remember, seeing a medical provider without authorization after a work injury can cause problems with your case.
Filing with your health insurance
Filing the claim on your health insurance can hurt your claim because it may challenge your credibility. Even though you may believe you are doing the right thing with your insurance, what seems like a minor injury could become quite substantial. Filing with your own insurance and then going back to get workers’ compensation involved can be messy.
Workers may also make the mistake of handling the case on their own. Legal representation can help when navigating the laws of workers’ compensation. What seems like a simple case may have a dozen loopholes that you may miss yourself.