Workplace injuries can occur in any profession or work environment, and most employers hold liability for their workers while they are on the job or acting on behalf of the employer. If you recently suffered an injury at work, you probably have grounds for a workers’ compensation claim, or may be able to hold your employer liable for your injury some other way.
Workers’ compensation protects both employers and employees, providing care and compensation for injured workers and also limiting the ability of workers to sue their employer. While you typically cannot sue your employer for a workplace injury directly, a strong workers’ compensation claim may address lost income and provide the medical care you need to recover.
Building your claim
The first thing to do after any workplace injury is seek immediate treatment. Some injuries are truly emergencies, while others are only painful or may keep you from performing your job. In either case, it is rarely wise to let an injury go without proper treatment. If you wait to receive treatment, the injury may grow worse, and your employer may suspect that it is not work-related.
It is also important to report the injury to your employer as soon it occurs, and to document the circumstances that led to the injury by writing them out. This clear documentation establishes the facts surrounding your injury and makes it more difficult for the insurance company handling your claim to deny you compensation.
Understand what to expect from your compensation
Ultimately, the most important aspect of filing a claim is ensuring that you receive the proper medical care for your injury. Often, insurers push back against providing complete coverage for an injury because many employees do not know that compensation is negotiable. Insurance companies are businesses first and foremost, and they rarely pay out more than they can get away with.
Likewise, insurance providers tend to undervalue your financial losses from an accident and the value of your pain and suffering or the ongoing effects of your injury. Make sure that you review the details of your injury and keep all the medical documentation you receive from medical care providers. The more documentation you provide, the stronger your claim.
Workers’ compensation can feel like both a gift and curse, providing some degree of coverage, but often delivering less than you deserve. To make sure that you receive full compensation for your injuries and losses, make it a priority to build a strong workers’ compensation claim using high-quality legal resources and guidance as you need them. A strong legal strategy helps keep your interests and rights secure while you focus on your physical and financial recovery.