If you are injured on the job, it can impact your life and financial situation. While you may be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits from your employer, you need to ensure you take the right steps after an accident to avoid issues.
Keep the following in mind to give your workplace injury the best chance of being covered by workers’ compensation benefits.
Report the incident immediately
After your accident, you have more than a few things to consider. There is a good chance you are in pain, too. With all this on your mind, you may forget to report the incident to your employer. However, you have just 30 days in Missouri to report the incident. If possible, submit your report in writing to your employer right after it happens. Failure to do this may make recovering benefits challenging.
Seek medical attention
Documentation from a doctor is the foundation of any workers’ compensation claim. This is because it shows how the injury occurred and how serious it is. When you seek treatment right away, the documentation helps to connect the injury to your workplace.
If you wait to seek treatment, the insurance company may try to claim that your injury is not that serious or that it is not work-related.
Once your doctor gives you a treatment plan, make sure you follow it. This includes going to all your appointments and any rehabilitation ordered. Failure to do this may result in issues for your workers’ comp benefits.
Protecting your rights to workers’ compensation benefits
If you want to recover the compensation you are entitled to after a workplace injury, keep the information here in mind. Knowing your legal rights and responsibilities will help you with this situation.