Suffering an injury is never fun, but when the injury keeps you from being able to go to work or perform your full job duties, it can cause serious financial strain. This is where workers’ compensation may be able to help. If you’ve been injured on the job and have already filed or are considering filing a workers’ compensation claim, these three tips may increase your chances of success.
- Report your injury and start the claims process immediately. Waiting to do either can leave you open to the other side claiming that you weren’t really injured. There is also usually a narrow window of time – generally just 30 days – to report the injury and claim workers’ comp. Some people get hurt but think it is just a minor issue that won’t be a problem or cause them to miss work. However, sometimes these seemingly small injuries can turn into big problems, and by then it may be too late to file a claim. When in doubt, report the injury and talk with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney about your options.
- Document everything. It’s crucial to keep detailed and accurate records of everything pertaining to your injury and/or claim. Take pictures of the injury, if applicable, and talk to any witnesses to see if they are willing to give a statement. You’ll likely be gathering quite a bit of paperwork, and you’ll need to keep it organized and readily available, so you can access the medical documentation proving your injuries when you need it.
- Talk with a workers’ compensation attorney. There is much misinformation out there on the subject of workers’ compensation, and what happened in your coworkers’ friend’s case may not be accurate and is likely no indication of the possible outcomes for your own case. Having accurate information and sound legal counsel is critical to a successful workers’ compensation claim.
If you have questions about your workers’ compensation claim or have been injured on the job, call the experienced attorneys at Parker & Frey PLLC to schedule a meeting.