Becoming injured at work can be a frightening, stressful, and complicated situation to endure. Your mind is probably racing and you may be thinking about how you’ll pay for the expenses of daily life in the aftermath of an on-the-job accident.
It’s important to keep in mind, when dealing with such a situation, that there are certain steps that need to be taken in order for everything to be handled properly.
Here’s what you need to do:
#1 - Seek Medical Care Immediately
The very first thing you should do after suffering an injury at work is to seek medical attention. For the first 10 days following an injury, if offered, you need to be treated by a doctor who is among those selected by your employer.
Once the 10 day period passes, you have the option to choose your own physician for treatment. You’ll need to provide your employer or their insurance company with the name and address of any doctor you choose for medical treatment or evaluation of your work-related ailment.
#2 - Alert Your Employer
It’s a good idea to tell your employer about your work-related injury or illness right away. Under the law, you have 90 days after suffering an injury to tell your employer about it. If you don’t let your employer know about the illness or injury within 90 days, your claim is still valid unless your employer can prove its claims are prejudiced by the late notice.
#3 - Consult a Skilled Workers’ Compensation Attorney
It’s never too soon to consult an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to protect your interests and fight on your behalf so that you receive all the benefits that are rightfully yours. We offer free consultations, so there’s no risk in contacting us with your case.
#4 - Retain All Documentation
It’s significantly beneficial for your claim that you retain all documents you receive or provide to your employer, doctor, specialists, and insurance companies. Make sure it is all neat, organized, and in one place.
#5 - Record Everything
Be sure to keep track of all of the following:
- The miles you travel for medical care
- The amount you pay in copays
- Parking fees
- The names of your doctors
- The dates you receive treatment
It’s also a good idea to keep track of the workers’ compensation payments you receive.
#6 - Verify Your Payments
Make sure that the payments you receive are for the correct amount. There may be issues with your claim if your payments are being delayed or if they have stopped altogether. If you have any difficulties receiving payments or the amount of your weekly payment doesn’t seem right, you may require legal assistance.
Other Important Points to Keep in Mind
The Representative Is Not Your Friend
No matter what they say, the workers’ compensation insurance representatives are not looking out for your best interests. Unfortunately, it is the industry standard to manipulate claimants into believing that their claims are worth less than they truly are.
Learning about the rules, procedures, and requirements can be intimidating, but it’s important to question everything your claims representative tells you. Their primary goal is to protect the interests of the company they work for, which may be the best reason to hire an attorney for your case.
Your attorney will know how to get around the insurance company’s tricks so that you receive the fair and just compensation you deserve.
Your attorney will be able to help you overcome the following issues:
- A denied claim for an invalid medical, technical, or legal reason
- Stopped or minimized benefits
- The insistence that you cannot see your own doctor after the first 10 days from reporting your claim — or otherwise advising you against receiving the care you truly need
- Unfair demands involving an “independent” (we say “insurance”) medical examiner (IME), such as setting required appointments without enough notice or using a biased evaluation to force you back to work before you are ready
If you’ve been injured as the result of an accident at work, we may be able to help you recover the compensation you deserve. We have helped many other people in similar situations—let us see if we can help you, too. Don’t delay—contact our office right away with your questions.
Call Adler Firm, PLLC today at (888) 966-9524 to speak with an accomplished attorney about your case.
