The day may never come that you need to hire a workers
compensation attorney; then again, that day may have already arrived. If
you are free of injury today, however, that doesn't dismiss your
responsibility to know how the system works. It's important to know the
steps you should take when you are hurt on the job because there may not
be time for research once an incident happens. Whether you break your
hand doing something foolish or lose your leg as the result of your
company's machinery, you should be covered by the federally mandated
insurance system. That said, things don't always work out that way. They
almost certainly won't if you fail to take the proper steps. Here's
what every employee should know about getting injured at work.
Report, Report, Report
Any workers compensation attorney will tell you that many people come to them with what are nearly unwinnable cases. Why? Because the employee failed to report his or her injury at the time it occurred. If you hurt yourself while operating the commercial washing machine but don't say anything until a week later when you think the injury might be more serious than you thought, you may be too late. There is no chain of documentation to back up your claims.
See Your Employer's Doctor
Employers will often have a particular doctor or clinic they like their employees to see in case of incident. Now, obviously, if you are hurt to the point where you require immediate emergency attention, your destination will be the nearest hospital. In cases where the need for medical care is not as urgent, however, you will be directed to a specific doctor. Go there. If you choose to ignore this direction, you may find that your bills are not covered by the insurance plan.
Tick the Job Box at the Clinic or Hospital
At most clinics and hospitals, part of the admission form will include a box to tick if you were hurt while at work. Don't overlook this step, as this tells the clinic's billing office to send the bill to your employer or the insurance company instead of sending it to you. This can certainly avoid a lot of the hassle that might come later on.
Don't Cheat
If you need a workers compensation attorney because you genuinely believe you are not being covered for an injury that should be, that's fine and that's within the fair scope of your rights. Don't attempt to cheat the system, however, as you will almost certainly be caught. Cheating attempts are very common in the field, and the law has gotten extremely good at identifying the characteristics of a malingerer.
Report, Report, Report
Any workers compensation attorney will tell you that many people come to them with what are nearly unwinnable cases. Why? Because the employee failed to report his or her injury at the time it occurred. If you hurt yourself while operating the commercial washing machine but don't say anything until a week later when you think the injury might be more serious than you thought, you may be too late. There is no chain of documentation to back up your claims.
See Your Employer's Doctor
Employers will often have a particular doctor or clinic they like their employees to see in case of incident. Now, obviously, if you are hurt to the point where you require immediate emergency attention, your destination will be the nearest hospital. In cases where the need for medical care is not as urgent, however, you will be directed to a specific doctor. Go there. If you choose to ignore this direction, you may find that your bills are not covered by the insurance plan.
Tick the Job Box at the Clinic or Hospital
At most clinics and hospitals, part of the admission form will include a box to tick if you were hurt while at work. Don't overlook this step, as this tells the clinic's billing office to send the bill to your employer or the insurance company instead of sending it to you. This can certainly avoid a lot of the hassle that might come later on.
Don't Cheat
If you need a workers compensation attorney because you genuinely believe you are not being covered for an injury that should be, that's fine and that's within the fair scope of your rights. Don't attempt to cheat the system, however, as you will almost certainly be caught. Cheating attempts are very common in the field, and the law has gotten extremely good at identifying the characteristics of a malingerer.
No comments:
Post a Comment