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After a work injury, you generally have 45 days to report the incident, but its best to do so as soon as you can. Once you’ve reported it, you should seek help from a trustworthy workers’ compensation firm—this can be the difference between collecting the compensation you’re entitled to versus not being eligible.
When you’re injured at work, don’t take any chances—contact a workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible to get the process started.
Types of Common Workplace Injuries
Workplace injuries can happen in a second, and can change your life. When you’re hurt at work and you aren’t sure if your injury will quality for benefits, it can be a good idea to learn about some of the most common workplace injuries so you can compare them to your situation.
Many injuries may seem like they won’t qualify for benefits, when in reality, they do. Learning more about the most common injuries can help you decide what the best course of action is.
Some of the most frequently occurring injuries that happen in the workplace include:
- Overexertion: These are injuries related to pulling, pushing, holding, lifting, throwing, and carrying. These are considered some of the most common injuries in the workplace.
- Slips and falls: Slipping and falling on wet or slippery floors, or falling on uneven flooring. These injuries can also include ones during winter on uncleared walkways.
- Repetitive motion: Injuries such as back injury or carpal tunnel syndrome, which are caused by performing the same task or motion over and over.
- Workplace assaults: When one or more workers are assaulted in the workplace.
- Traffic incidents: Injuries caused by accidents or crashes that involve company vehicles.
- Caught in/compressed by: Injuries that typically happen in factories or workspaces involving heavy machinery.
- Fall to lower level: Falling off a ladder, down stairs, off of a roof, etc.
- Struck by object: Injuries caused by falling objects or objects dropped by another person.
- Struck against an object: Injuries involving objects such as doors, walls, windows, etc.
Important Things to Know About Workers’ Compensation Cases
Working with a workers’ compensation lawyer will help you understand the ins and outs of filing a claim, but you should be familiar with some of the basics on your own, as well. You’ll want to know what the statute of limitations is for filing a claim, what paperwork to have ready (medical bills, incident reports, etc.), and what type of compensation to seek.
For example, you might seek lost wages benefits, permanent injury compensation, or medical bill reimbursement. If you’re having trouble figuring out any of these aspects, a work injury attorney will be able to help you understand all of the complexities.
The Process of Filing a Claim
When you file a workers’ compensation claim, having a work injury attorney on your side can make the whole process much easier.
The first step is reporting the incident to your employer. This should be done within seven days of the incident. When you seek medical care, be sure to inform the staff that they are dealing with a work injury, as you may need to visit specific facilities or doctors.
Next, the insurance carrier will open a claim for benefits after receiving reports from the employer and doctors. If the claim is found to be compensable, the insurance carrier will work with the employer and the injured party to figure out the rate of pay that the injured person will receive while they are out of work.
If the claim is for some reason denied, the injured worker will have the option to appeal.
