What to Do When Hurt at Work

When someone gets hurt at work, it is the role of the employer to cover them - to ensure that they never need to worry about the medical costs or the lost wages directly associated with an injury. Unfortunately, it might turn out that someone is unfairly accused of something that they did not do, or that their coverage attempts to rescind its innate promise to care for whatever ailments come about as a result of their job.

The First Thing You Should Do

When hurt at work, it is important to report it immediately. By waiting or not reporting it, you only cast suspicion on the injury and make it harder for yourself to get coverage for your expenses. Not only does the law require you to report the injury immediately, it supports the employer if there is a problem and you did not report it. Doubt is immediately cast on you if there is a delay.

Filing Paperwork

Beyond just telling your employer, you'll also need to file good chunk of paperwork. Even if your employer tells you not to, insist on filing a report as a Notice of Injury along with a written statement about your injury. This may be used later to help with your claims, and if it does not exist it will be a matter of "he said" vs. "he said" - something that can make it much harder to actually get anything out of the insurance.

Keep records of any paperwork you file as well. You'll need to have copies and they can always get lost at work or by the insurance companies. You may also want to have someone who saw the incident file and sign a report to verify your account, so that the accident cannot be disputed later on.

Ensuring You Receive Coverage

The best way to ensure you receive coverage for your injury is to follow all the proper channels. Take any drug test required of you, keep your paperwork, talk to anyone that wants to interview you and don't delay any part of the process. Do everything immediately and efficiently.

If you do it properly, you should be able to quickly and easily get your injury report taken care of your worker's compensation activated to help you recover and get back to work. This article should not be used as legal advice.

Learn your rights at DisabilityAttorney.net - Mike Murburg, PA - Tampa, FL