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What You Need To Know About Workers' Compensation If Injured On The Job

29 February 2016 by Louise Boyd

The workers' compensation program was designed to help you pay for your medical expenses if you were to become injured while performing your job. Instead of the costs being covered by your own insurance, your employer's insurance is responsible for paying for the medical expenses. When an injury is keeping you away from your job for an extensive amount of time, workers' compensation can help you receive the benefits you need to get back on your feet. Here is what you should expect during the process.

What To Do After You Get Hurt

When an injury occurs at work, you should immediately get the treatment you need from a doctor. It's important that any injury is officially diagnosed, and that a doctor assesses if you can return back to work or not. If you are advised to stay home, you'll then need to officially file your worker's compensation claim to get the process started.

Your state may have a cut off date for how long you'll have to start the workers' compensation process after an injury happens, or else the claim will be denied. It ranges from days to years, so make sure you know what the laws are.

How To File A Claim

Your employer should have forms to file a workers' compensation claim. While you can also file through a medical practitioner, it's best to go through your employer to ensure they aren't surprised with what is happening. There is a possibility that they will try to fight the claim, so it's best to be up front and honest about the whole situation.

The forms will have information about where to mail the paperwork to.

The Benefits Available To You

Your state will either deny or approve your workers' compensation claim. If approved, you'll receive several benefits.

Medial Reimbursement

Includes all money that you paid to doctors, hospitals, physical therapists, and specialists. It will also include reimbursement for any expense related to the injury, such as emergency transportation to the doctor, medications, and any medical aids that you needed, such as crutches or a wheelchair.

Salary Reimbursement

You are entitled to receive 2/3 of your current salary while you are not working, and it will be increased to 3/4 if you are responsible for caring for dependents. The length of time that you can receive salary reimbursement depends on your state, and it can range between 3-7 years.

Vocational Training

When an injury causes you to be unable to return to your previous position, you can receive training to learn a new position at your company.

Permanent Impairment

Injuries that leave a part of your body permanently impairs will make you entitled to receiving compensation for the inability to use that specific body part.

Need to know more info about filing for and receiving workers' compensation? Speak to a law office, such as Gilbert, Blaszcyk & Milburn LLP, for more information.   

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