Do you need to report minor incidents?
A small injury might not seem like anything that needs to be reported. In fact, you might not even bother mentioning it to your supervisor. But while most minor injuries don’t amount to anything, some injuries become more serious later. When that happens, you’ll find yourself wishing that you documented the injury from the beginning so you can collect the maximum amount of workers’ comp benefits.
If you’re injured on the job, notify your supervisor. They might fill out an incident report and keep it for their records. If you’re lucky, the injury will heal up and you’ll never think about it again. But if the injury starts to worsen, you should notify your supervisor and see a doctor as soon as possible. Your supervisor might direct you to a doctor that works directly with the company.
Once you’ve been checked out, the doctor might either clear you for work or tell you that you need to take some time off to recover. During this time, you could apply for workers’ compensation to pay your bills and make up for your lost wages. You’ll find it much easier to file a claim because you’ve been recording the incident from the beginning instead of waiting until the last minute.
When do you need to hire an attorney?
Anyone can benefit from hiring an attorney when they file for workers’ compensation. However, an attorney is particularly beneficial for people in certain situations. For example, many undocumented immigrants don’t know that they’re eligible for workers’ compensation if they’re injured on the job. An attorney could help them collect compensation while keeping their identities safe. An attorney could also help you document your injuries, find the right doctor and go back to work when you’re ready.
