In this new economic climate, employers are laying off several employees. These layoffs impact the safety of workers who remain on the job. Specifically, workers are now required to perform multiple tasks without the same level of help from other co workers. There are two major rules which every injured worker should adhere to: 1) Report the injury the day of the accident and 2) Inform your doctor the accident occurred at work.
As an employee who performs manual labor, it is imperative that you report the injury the day of any accident. Too often an injured worker will assume that his or her good standing with the company will help in the event of a true injury. Failure to report the injury on the day of the accident often leads to your compensation claim being denied.
A typical situation occurs when a worker injures his low back on a Friday towards the end of his shift. There is no supervisor on the site, the employee decides to simply go home and “sleep it off”. By Monday morning, the workers’ low back is tight and painful. When the worker reports the injury on Monday, the insurance carrier may deny the claim since it was not initially reported.
In addition to reporting the injury on the day of the accident, make sure to explain to your doctor that the accident occurred at work. Most Physicians require both the compensation carrier information and the workers health insurance carrier. Unfortunately, some doctors do not conduct a detailed history from the injured worker.In every compensation case, the attorneys and the Judge will read the medical records specifically to obtain the statements of causation by the injured worker.
In summary, it is better to be safe than sorry. When you are injured at work, immediately report the accident. Furthermore, once reported, when obtaining medical care, be crystal clear to your doctor that the injury occurred at work. The more details you can provide to the doctor, the better.
[THE FOREGOING IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, BUT SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS A GENERAL DISCUSSION ON THE LAW. IN THE EVENT YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION, PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH AN ATTORNEY].
