If you are injured while on the job, you are entitled to compensation through your employers’ workers’ compensation insurance. The actual process is rather complicated, so it is important to understand what to do if you are injured. Of course, the very first thing you should do is seek medical attention for your injuries, but once that is taken care of there are specific steps you should take. This guide outlines exactly what forms you should and should not sign.
What To Do if Injured
Technically, the only thing you need to do if you are injured is to report the injury to your employer. It is his or her responsibility to handle the workers’ comp case, and your employer is required to know what to do. The first thing your employer needs to do is to report the injury to the workers’ comp board and fill out an accident report. You will need to sign the accident report.
Keep in mind that the specifics of the process vary from state to state, but the general process is largely the same. For example, some states call the accident report an “injury report.” There are two main ways workers comp can be handled in any particular state, and this also affects the process:
- A private insurance company
- A civic state agency
Your workers’ comp case will be reviewed and either approved for denied. If it is denied, you can appeal the decision. You usually have 30 days to report the injury to your employer and one year for the workers’ comp case to be submitted.
What Forms To Avoid
Hopefully you will not have to worry about anything malicious from your employer while going through the workers’ comp process. However, occasionally an employer will try something underhanded to avoid being held responsible. If you avoid signing these three types of forms, you should be able to completely avoid all workers’ comp tricks:
- Papers that waive your employers’ legal responsibility
- Compensation agreements that do not go through workers’ comp
- Statements that do not describe the injury as you recall it
If you ever suspect that your employer may not have your best interests in mind, the very first thing you should always do is speak to a workers’ compensation lawyer. There are legal professionals who are trained to handle situations exactly like this. If you take the correct steps, you will still receive the compensation for your injury that you are entitled to.
To learn more or to get started with a claim, contact a hiring a workers compensation lawyer, like from the Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt, maybe in your best interest—call today to learn more about how they can help you.