Most days at work go on as expected; however, if you've ever had an on the job injury, you know how quickly the day can change.
Injuries aren't just limited to hands-on jobs like construction. You can get hurt working in an office too. Between slip and fall accidents and other incidents, there are hazards that will sometimes present themselves to employees.
If you were injured at work, would you know what to do?
Let's look into 3 things you need to do after experiencing a work injury.
1. Tell Your Supervisor
The first step after you've had an on the job injury is to immediately inform your supervisor. Often, when someone experiences an injury they may worry about the repercussions, such as termination. This causes some to hesitate before reporting the incident.
Others consider their injury minor and think that it's not worth reporting. However, something that seems minor at the time could get worse over time.
Reporting your injury to your supervisor starts the process of worker's compensation and they must immediately provide you with a claim form.
Worker's compensation provides income and medical care benefits to those who are injured on the job or suffer a work-related illness.
Depending on the worker's compensation laws in your state, you are required to inform your supervisor of any incidents within a certain timeframe.
2. Seek Medical Care
The next step is to immediately get medical care for your injury. You'll also need to choose a health care provider that the worker's compensation board authorizes. This is necessary unless it's an emergency situation.
Depending on your insurance, any additional testing and medication may also need to come from an approved list of pharmacies and diagnostic networks.
Once you've seen one of the authorized workers compensation doctors follow their instructions for a quick recovery.
3. File a Worker's Compensation Claim
Next, you'll need to file your worker's compensation claim. Doing so is similar to filing an insurance claim and does not mean that you're taking legal action against your employer. You're simply requesting benefits for your injury.
When you file your claim, you'll also need to make sure you disclose any previous injuries you sustained on the job, if any.
Even if you did not report those in the past, failing to disclose this information when you open a claim could result in you losing your compensation.
After you've filed a claim for your on the job injury, you will have to return to work as soon as you are able. Failure to do so could result in termination and loss of your compensation.
Follow These Best Practices After Your on the Job Injury
Job-related injuries can take a major toll on employees, sometimes leaving them with permanent disabilities and financial problems from not being able to work. Worker's compensation is there for your protection and to mitigate these risks.
If you're ever injured at work, it critical to follow these steps to ensure that you receive the proper compensation for your injury. Check out the rest of our site for more workplace tips.
