What to Do If You’re Injured at Work
What to Do If You’re Injured at Work
Employees have the right to safe working conditions. Yet, injuries can still happen on job sites ranging from construction zones to office cubicles. If you sustain a workplace injury near San Jose, you almost certainly have the right to obtain workers’ compensation benefits, which will cover medical bills related to the injury or illness, in addition to a portion of your lost wages. However, workers’ compensation guidelines are often difficult to navigate. It’s best to consult a workers’ compensation attorney to ensure that you aren’t jeopardizing your claim by failing to follow the guidelines.
Care for Your Well-Being
Sometimes, injuries are obvious. A construction worker may suffer a concussion or fracture due to equipment falling off scaffolding, for example. Other injuries develop gradually, such as carpal tunnel syndrome due to repetitive movements. As soon as evidence of an injury arises, you should seek medical attention from a doctor within your employer’s workers’ compensation network. Failure to obtain medical attention in a timely manner may jeopardize your claim. Additionally, your workers’ compensation attorney is likely to advise you to follow all of the doctor’s discharge instructions. Otherwise, it might be argued that you are prolonging your recovery.
Provide Written Notification
After seeking medical attention, you’ll need to provide written notification to your employer. Your employer may have an incident report form that you can fill out. Provide basic information such as the date of the accident and the type of injury..
File a Claim
Consult a workers’ compensation attorney for help filing a claim. Your employer should give you a claim form or you can download a form from the California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers’ Compensation. Be sure to keep a copy of the form for your records and return the original to your employer promptly. Your employer will fill out the “employer” section of the form and submit it to the insurance company. You should receive notice of the status of your claim within two weeks from the employer’s workers compensation insurance carrier or adjusting company.
