Being seriously injured on the job sounds frightening, and it is. Often, the first thing injured workers think about is whether or not they will have to miss work and how they will care for their families. Workers’ compensation is the answer to the latter part of that equation, and no, it is not charity of any sort. Rather, workers’ compensation benefits are your right as part of the American workforce. Below are the basic, yet quite important pieces of information you should know if this is your first workplace injury.
Report injuries right away
Employers need to know when any member of their workforce becomes injured. Occasionally, workers may suffer injuries and not realize they are serious at first. When this happens, report your injury as soon as you realize it is related to your employment.
File for workers’ compensation early
Ideally, you will want to file your claim as soon as an injury occurs or directly following any emergency or medical treatment received for the injury. To delay filing is to risk delayed benefits or an outright denial of your claim.
Injuries must be work-related
Workers’ compensation only covers injuries or illnesses that are related to work. This means an injury at your place of employment or an injury that occurred while performing your work duties offsite.
Legal rights
Legally, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation for your injuries. If you believe your claim has been denied unfairly, seek advice from an attorney. If your employer attempts to block your efforts to file a claim, you should also speak to an attorney.
You will find a great deal of in-depth information about filing for workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania within the pages of our firm’s website. We encourage you to browse our web pages to learn more about how to file your claim.
