Being injured at work and having to take time off while you recover can put you in quite a financial dilemma. Your bills do not stop coming because you cannot go to work and you often do not earn a paycheck after you use up all of your sick days. If you have been injured at work, use the guide below to learn what steps to make to ensure that you can be paid for your injuries through worker's compensation.
Make a Report of the Accident
The first thing you need to do is make a formal report with your employer that the accident happened. You need to have the accident documented in writing so that you can prove you were injured at work, when you were injured, and have any witnesses provide a statement about what happened.
Go to the Doctor Right Away
After you are injured, it is important to go to a doctor right away to be treated. You do not want to wait for treatment because your employer may be able to claim that the injuries were worsened between the time you left work and the time you finally went to the doctor. It is best to leave work right away and seek medical attention so that you can prove your injuries were as bad as you claim later on down the road.
Document All Communication with Your Employer
When you meet to speak with your employer about your injuries and what the doctor says, be sure to communicate in writing so that you have a paper trail for everything that was said between the two of you. It is best to text or email the information to your employer so that you can prove what their responses were to the information that you gave them.
Meet with a Worker's Compensation Attorney
Before you make any claims with your employer's insurance company, you need to meet with a worker's compensation attorney. The attorney will be able to help you determine how much money you should ask for and what steps you need to take to better the chances of winning your claims. It is often easy to reach a settlement agreement with the company rather than having to go to court, if you have a great attorney to fight for you.
After taking these steps, you will be able to rest assured that you will be compensated for your injuries as much as you possibly can. It will take time for the attorney to be able to take care of everything for you. You may want to contact the companies who you owe money to see if you can get a short extension on the due dates for your bills.
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