Were you hurt while on the job and plan to apply for workers' comp? If so, you may make some mistakes along the way that can cost you in the form of much-needed compensation. Make sure that you do not do any of the following four things.
Not Getting Medical Treatment
One common mistake that people make it not getting seen by a doctor to officially diagnose the injury. There may be a fear of having to pay for a high medical bill, but if the injury was due to a workplace accident, then you should get immediate medical treatment. Not seeing a doctor can demonstrate that the injury wasn't serious or that the injury didn't happen when you claim it did.
Not Reporting Your Injury Properly
It's important that you notify your workplace immediately after the injury happens, and verify that the proper paperwork has been started for the claim. Do not assume that when the injury is known by a supervisor that they will take care of the paperwork for you. Always make a formal notification in writing to prove that you notified your employer.
Not Taking Enough Time Off
Do you feel pressured to return to work as soon as possible after your injury? If so, you may end up agitating your injury by performing tasks that you shouldn't be doing. You may also need to get medical clearance from your doctor in order to return to work. Make sure you are following the right course of action instead of returning to work too early.
Not Following Work Restrictions
It can be tempting to jump right into work after an injury happens, which involves resuming all your old responsibilities from when you were working your position before the injury happened.. However, you may have restrictions on what you can do from your doctor. This could include a limit on moving objects or performing other physical activity. It can be complicated if your employer is asking you do tasks that would violate your work restrictions. This could require getting a lawyer involved to protect you from what your employer is trying to do. If you are not following your work restrictions, it could be viewed that your injury has healed.
For questions dealing with a workers' comp claim, work with a workers' comp attorney that specializes in these cases. They'll help fight for your rights when working with your employer.
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