When most people think of workers’ compensation benefits, they tend to think of employees who are involved in work-related accidents and suffer debilitating, outwardly visible physical injuries requiring extensive surgery and months of physical therapy.
In reality, though, an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage does not only apply to accidents that cause employees physical injuries.
Workers’ comp also provides coverage for employees’ work-related diseases, and you should file a claim if you have contracted a disease at work.
With the guidance of a workers’ compensation lawyer, you can ensure you get the full benefits to which you are entitled, including:
- Your medical bills
- Payment for any modifications you need to make to your home or vehicle or workspace to accommodate your injury-related limitations
- Your lost wages
- Pain and suffering
If you want to maximize your benefits after being involved in a work-related accident or after you have contracted a work-related illness, you should be sure to follow these steps.
Document the Accident As Best You Can
After the accident or disease exposure takes place, you need to report it to your employer so it can be properly documented.
Notify your immediate supervisor and, just for safe measure, your employer’s human resources department to make sure a formal report is written up.
Once the report has been written, you should review it to make sure it is accurate and ask for a copy so you have it for your records.
You will need to provide it to the insurance adjuster to prove that the accident happened and to prove how it happened.
Have a Medical Professional Examine and Treat Your Injuries or Illness
No matter how minor you may think your injury or illness is, you need to have a medical professional examine you as soon after your accident or exposure to toxins as you can.
You will undoubtedly have quite a bit on your mind, but you need to make your recovery your top priority.
Everything else can wait.
Putting off treatment could potentially jeopardize your long-term health, so it is in your best interest to be proactive.
Keep Copies of All Your Medical Records, Medical Bills, Wage Statements, and Other Important Documents Related to Your Claim
If you want to have any chance of proving your claim to the workers’ compensation insurance adjuster, you will need to provide evidence of all the damages you have incurred as a result of your injuries or illness.
This means you need medical records to prove:
- Proof of your injuries
- Medical bills to prove how much your treatment has cost you
- Wage statements to show how much money you have lost if you have not been able to work
- Receipts if you have had to make any alterations to your home or vehicles to accommodate your injury-related physical limitations.
These documents will show the adjuster how much of a financial burden your injury or illness has been.
Hire an Attorney to Represent You in Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Against Your Employer
Trying to learn all the ins and outs of the workers’ compensation system on your own without any prior knowledge or experience would be exhausting.
Do yourself a favor and hire an attorney with workers’ compensation expertise to represent you in your claim.
An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer will explain the whole claim process to you, let you know how much your injuries are worth, and tell you honestly whether the insurance company is making a fair settlement offer.
Save yourself the stress and frustration of going it alone against the insurance company.