Suffering an injury on the job is never an easy situation with which to deal. You will need to seek medical treatment and then continued care if the injury is serious enough. You will then need to file for workers’ compensation benefits. There’s plenty for you to worry about when injured on the job, including not being able to pay the bills while you are out of work. So, why should you report a work injury immediately?
A smart reason to report your injury related to your job immediately is that it gets the ball rolling on your workers’ compensation claim. If you suffer an injury on the job, it is your responsibility to notify your employer. This includes notifying a direct supervisor, a member of human resources or any other member of the management team.
The quicker you notify an employer of your injury, the quicker you will receive notification from the employer’s insurance carrier of the doctor you can visit for treatment. You cannot simply choose your own doctor. It’s possible that the insurance company will permit you to see your doctor, but this is uncommon.
When you report a work-related injury immediately, you will reduce the chance that the claim for workers’ compensation will be denied. The longer you wait, the likelier it is that the claim will be denied, especially if you miss the reporting deadline.
Reporting a work injury immediately not only benefits you but also your employer. The quicker you file a report about the accident that led to your injury the quicker you can start receiving workers’ compensation benefits.
