A workplace injury can make it difficult to perform the duties of your job and continue to maintain your income. If you get hurt at work, the injury can also make it harder to manage responsibilities at home and participate in activities you enjoy.
The workers’ compensation system provides certain benefits to injured workers, including medical care, temporary disability, permanent disability and supplemental job displacement benefits, states the California Department of Industrial Relations. To protect your right to these benefits after an accident at work, there are certain steps you must take.
Seek emergency treatment
If you need medical care immediately after a workplace accident, call an ambulance or go straight to the hospital for treatment. If the injury does not require immediate medical care, your employer may have you go and see a specific doctor.
Report the accident
You must report the accident and your injury to your employer within 30 days after it occurs. If you do not notify your employer within this timeframe, you could put your right to workers’ compensation benefits at risk.
Follow your physician’s instructions
If your doctor instructs you to rest for a certain period of time or take a medication, for example, follow his or her instructions. The purpose of the workers’ compensation system is to help you recover and you may become ineligible for benefits if you do not follow your doctor’s orders.
Although you may take all of these steps, your claim for workers’ compensation benefits can still get denied. Take legal action if this happens to you following a workplace accident.
