American workers are injured at work every 7 seconds, but not many people know what to do next after an injury.
If you’ve suffered a work-related injury, you may be entitled to money to help your recovery. But there’s a lengthy process to getting what you deserve.
If you want to get the maximum award, make sure you know exactly what happens during a workers compensation claim process.
Read on for a brief guide to making a workers comp claim.
Gather Evidence
The first and most vital thing to do after an injury is to collect any relevant evidence about your injuries. Pictures and videos of your injury, the environment, and unsafe machinery can be used as critical evidence during your claim.
The other important part of evidence collation is to seek medical help immediately. Even if it doesn’t feel like an emergency, there may be long-term effects caused by the injury, so you should visit a workers comp doctor and get it added to your medical records.
Tell Your Employer
Ensure you inform your employer as soon as it happens; give them information about what happened, how it happened, and what you need. At this point, they should provide you with reporting forms to fill out.
If they don’t volunteer information about workers comp policies, ask for them. Return your claim forms to the employer, and they will take the next steps in processing your claim.
Lawyer up
The claim process can be complicated and lengthy; consider hiring a workers compensation lawyer to help you. The critical thing to understand is your rights as an employee and what you’re entitled to; if you’re unclear, it’s time to lawyer up.
A workers compensation lawyer will be able to represent you, whether that’s talking to the employer, insurance company, or a court of law.
Submit an Application
Once you’ve filed your workers compensation claim with the employer, it’s their responsibility to complete the necessary paperwork. The insurer will request medical documentation from your doctor and other relevant pieces of evidence.
Receive or Appeal Your Award
When the insurer has reviewed your documents, they’ll let you know whether your claim has been approved. When you receive a notification of your workers compensation award, you should check it with your lawyer.
If the insurance rejects your claim, or you want to appeal for more money, you have the opportunity to submit a review request.
A workers compensation appeal involves the insurance company reporting their decision to an independent compensation board; they will then decide whether the award was fair.
Your Simple Guide to the Workers Compensation Claim Process
Now you know all about the workers compensation claim process, it’s essential to follow these steps in order if you want to receive the maximum award.
Next time you suffer a workplace injury, you’ll know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.
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