Accidents in the workplace can put people out of work for days, weeks, or even more, and even if they do come back to service, they may have lost their vigor, resilience, and ability, at least in part. Similar losses can also happen due to work environment illnesses which can incur both economic and non-economic damages upon the worker. Your top priority in the case of a workplace injury should be to contact our capable NC Worker’s Compensation Lawyers to sort the legal mess as soon as possible because there is no time to be lost here if you want to be compensated fairly.
But before we go that far, we first need to understand the basic anatomy of a worker’s comp claim, what it is, how it works, and what you can get out of it. The basic point of this article is to discuss how a worker’s injury/illness compensation works for a work-injury victim.
Here are the basic stages:
#1) Inform Your Employer
This goes for both workplace injuries and illnesses – after collecting firsthand evidence, i.e. photos, videos, and assorted evidence, you need to inform your company about the incident. It is best to use an official channel for this purpose because that way your report will be documented. You can send an official email to your employer detailing the incident, i.e. how it happened, where, and how much you’ve suffered (it would be best to be diagnosed beforehand for this last part).
You should also get a copy of the incident report that will be available once you’ve filed your declaration/request. Ideally, you should not delay matters at all, be as quick as you can be, but don’t rush it either because the way you phrase things will matter a lot. Also, you need to get diagnosed by a medical professional to state the nature of your injuries with authority. But putting off sending your email to your company is not recommended either.
Lastly, be sure you understand how things usually work in your company to better progress through the whole process.
#2) Rush to a Medical Professional
You can’t put off seeking medical help because that would imply that your sufferings were not as intense as you stated. After all, if it were so, you wouldn’t have delayed seeking medical help. When you reach out to a medical professional, they’ll first diagnose your condition, most likely by observation alone, but in challenging cases, they may use advanced diagnostic tests as well. Keep a track of your medical records and reports for the current state, both of them will affect how much you can demand in compensation for your condition.
#3) File Your Claim
Next, based on the company policy, you’ll be able to file your claim and thus seek compensation for your injuries/illnesses. Usually, the protocol involves filling out a couple of forms and contacting the insurance company of your employer. If your claim is uncontested, then you’ll get your settlement for the medical bills, loss of income (short-term or long-term), and possibly compensation for permanent disability, without much trouble. However, if your employer feels that your injuries are not work-related, they can contest your claim.
Generally, the bigger the suffering, the bigger the compensation.
#4) As Soon As You Can, Return To Work
You should not delay getting back to work when you can. If possible, you should continue working for your company part-time and get compensated for the duration you don’t work. But if you can’t work at all during the recovery phase, then let your employer know about the recommendations of your doctor. Once the recovery period passes, return to work. Otherwise, it would be seen as an abuse of your legal claim which can backfire badly – watch out!
Contact Our NC Worker’s Compensation Lawyers
Your time is precious here, and even more important is how you act in such circumstances – be mindful about what you do and say because it will affect your settlement. For proper counsel in the matter, you should not hesitate when reaching out to an attorney at law, even if you’re not sure that you can afford their services. Our NC Worker’s Compensation Lawyers will listen to your story and share insights about the matter with you to let you better understand the options available to you. This way, you’ll be better equipped to make important decisions that will affect the outcome of your case.
Of course, we’ll handle the legal work for you, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Call us today for more information!