Getting hurt while on the job is certainly not a pleasant experience. Besides the physical pain and any medical treatments that you need to undergo, there is the hassle of dealing with the issue through your employer. There are several steps that you should take any time that you get injured while on the job to ensure that the process goes smoothly. If you are not sure what these steps are, we have compiled a quick list to help you out. Keep these in mind as you never know when you might get hurt while at work.
Step 1: Get treatment. First and foremost you need to deal with the injury. No matter how minor the injury may be, you will want to get it looked at right away. Even a small injury can turn into a larger one if it is not properly taken care of. When you go to your doctor or the emergency room, make sure you get copies of any files or reports that they generate, as you may need these as proof to your employer. Any charges or expenses that come about as a result of the injury should also be recorded. Your health is the most important thing here, so always get that taken care of first.
Step 2: Report the injury to your employer. Even if it is just a minor injury, you will want to report it to your employer right after you get it look at by a doctor. Your employer should know about any work related injuries so that they can put it on record. You want to make sure your employer knows exactly what happened and when it occurred. If you fail to report that you have been injured on the job, and you try to claim it later, you may be denied workers compensation benefits. You don’t want to have to get lawyers involved, even if you can find a legal team with empathy. The entire process will go smoother if you simply take the steps necessary at the right time. Try and make a full report to your employer within 30 days of the accident happening.
Step 3: Complete a claim for Worker’s Compensation. Workers Compensation, also called Worker’s Comp, is how you will be reimbursed for your medical expenses and any loss of wages. Completing this form is essential to getting your benefits, and it should be completed as soon as possible after the injury. Most companies are insured, and their insurance will cover these costs for you. If you need help completing workers compensation forms, there are many places online that will be able to assist you, or you can contact your local government and they can direct you to where you can go to fill out a form in person.
Filing a worker’s compensation claim is a fairly straightforward process, as long as you do it on time. Whenever you are injured on the job, you should make it a priority to get to this as soon as you can. Obviously your health comes first, but once you are feeling better, or you can find someone to help you with it, you should take the time to submit this form. We hope that this quick guide was able to help you figure out what you should do when you are injured on the job. Keep this in mind in case you get hurt, as dealing with the physical aspects are enough trouble without adding unnecessary paperwork and money troubles on top of it.