After you are injured on the job, your employer should tell you to get immediate medical care. They know that, even if your injury is mild, a doctor may tell you to stay home for a few days or weeks.
If your injury is more severe, you are going to need financial support while you are unable to work.
Try to file as quickly as you can after being hurt at work
Once you have been injured, you need to file an injury report with your employer as soon as you can. You have 21 days to report your injury so you begin to receive workers’ compensation benefits that go back to the day you were hurt. If you want to receive wage loss benefits and medical compensation, file a report of your injury with your employer within 120 days. Document the name of the person who accepted your injury report and the date it was filed. Your medical records show the date you began receiving treatment.
Keep in mind, you must file an actual claim within three years for benefits if you want benefits. If you wait until after that point, you will lose that option.
Why is prompt notification so important?
Unless you start to create a paper trail almost immediately, your employer could question whether your injury is actually related to your job. While it’s true that many workplace injuries turn out to be very mild and may never lead to an actual workers’ compensation claim, some injuries may initially seem minor — until they fully develop. Even if you don’t think you will miss work or need to file a claim, giving your employer prompt notice of the injury protects your future rights.
Workers’ compensation benefits are supposed to be easy to obtain — but that’s not always the reality. If your claim is denied, experienced legal guidance can be helpful.