Worker’s Compensation: You’re Covered…OR ARE YOU?

An injury of any kind that keeps you from performing your job can be devastating. You have to deal with the pain and suffering from the injury, and the stress of seeing the bills and expenses piling up while you are not able to earn income to pay for them. Thankfully, as an employee, you have something called Worker’s Compensation to help you out.

Worker’s compensation is an insurance policy specifically designed to pay benefits to an injured employee. The policies can be comprehensive as well so you can rest assured that financial relief is coming your way. Even so, there are a few things you will want to do following an injury to ensure that you are treated fairly and that your company’s worker’s compensation policy covers you fully.

1. REPORT THE INJURY-make sure that you report your injury to your employee as soon as possible. Most companies and even worker’s compensation policies have time limits as to how quickly an injury should be reported so don’t wait!
2. KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS-When you are out of work due to an injury, the expenses multiply quickly. These surely include your normal bills, but in the case of an injury, the medical bills will add up quickly as well. Make sure to keep copies of all bills and accurate records of any additional expense. It is likely that worker’s compensation will reimburse you, but it is up to you to provide proof of the bills and expense you incur.
3. FOLLOW DOCTOR’S ORDERS-Make sure to follow any medical prescriptions and instructions given to you by a doctor. If you fail to do this, it is possible that some or all your expenses may NOT be covered. It is your responsibility to do what is necessary to ensure your injury heals and that you are back to work as quickly as possible.
4. SECURE A WORKER’S COMPENSATION ATTORNEY-As the expenses pile up, the need for a qualified attorney may become more evident. In such cases, sometimes it can be hard to ensure that the insurance company release all funds owed due to a myriad of laws and regulation that pertain to how such funds are dispersed. This can involve proving that specific expenses incurred due to the injury, the length you were out of work, and when exactly your paychecks stopped coming. An attorney who has experience dealing with worker’s compensation cases will be well versed in all current legislation dealing with how payments are made and will ensured you are paid exactly what you are owed.

So, if you are ever injured at work and you begin feeling the stress of your accruing expenses, take a deep breath, keep good solid records, and secure a qualified attorney. If you follow the tips above, you will have an excellent chance of recovering everything owed to you due to your on the job injury.