Your Responsibilities After Being Injured at Work
If you have suffered an injury or illness at work, there are certain responsibilities and duties that should be fulfilled by your employer. However, there are also things that you as the injured worker should do in order to ensure that things proceed smoothly, especially because employers and their insurers are always looking for reasons to deny a claim. If you are harmed in the scope of employment, you are responsible for undertaking the steps outlined below which can help you maximize your chances of obtaining workers’ compensation benefits for a qualifying injury.
Report Your Injury to Your Employer
Following the incident leading to your harm or the realization that you are ill because of your employment, you should immediately – or as soon thereafter as possible – report your injury to your employer or immediate supervisor. Importantly, Florida law dictates that you must report your injury or illness to your employer, and you must generally do so within 30 days of the injury or illness occurring. However, the sooner after the accident that the reporting occurs, the better off you are.
Get Medical Treatment
If you need medical attention, seek it immediately as what may initially be a minor injury can quickly increase in severity if you fail to go to the doctor for treatment. In addition, obtaining treatment swiftly can help strengthen the link between your job and your injury. Your employer will provide you with a list of medical providers after you have reported your injury and you should choose one and begin treatment. Fortunately, your employer and its insurance company should cover all authorized medical treatment related to the injury because one of the main benefits that you are entitled to under Florida’s workers’ compensation law is medical care. However, you have to do your part with this and you are also responsible for following your doctor’s orders. Don’t stop treatment before you are told and attend your required appointments.
Cooperate and Document Appropriately Throughout Your Journey
Throughout the workers’ compensation process, cooperate with any requests made of you by the insurance company and remain polite with your employer and its insurance company during your interactions. Keep up with and safeguard any correspondence between you and your employer or its insurance company as well as all records associated with your medical treatment. In addition, be mindful of your publicly accessible actions once you have been injured. Insurance companies have been known to do social media searches and even hire private investigators to follow and record injured workers in an attempt to disprove their assertions and pay out as little as possible.
We Are Here to Help
Obtaining the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve can be complicated, and some claims can even be denied. Whether you are already in the process of pursuing benefits or are trying to figure out where to begin, contacting an experienced legal team is the best way to obtain legal information regarding your workplace injury. As the Miami workers’ compensation attorneys at Payer & Associates, we can help you determine the next steps you should take. There are no upfront fees for our services and we are paid only if you receive benefits, so there is no reason to wait to contact us for a free consultation.
