Suffering an injury at work is frustrating. If you work in construction, you could hurt yourself while using a defective tool. If you work in manufacturing, you could suffer a shoulder or wrist injury after performing the same task, again and again, for years. For those in healthcare, they often suffer back injuries from lifting and moving heavy patients. Suddenly, you could be facing big medical bills, losing income from needed to take time off and feel uncertain about what to do now.
Seeking medical treatment for a work injury
When you suffer an injury at work, one thing you can’t overlook to receive workers’ compensation benefits is seeking medical help. You should visit a doctor as soon as you suffer an injury or realize you have symptoms of a workplace injury. If your injury doesn’t require immediate medical treatment, you need to find out if your employer requires you to visit a specific physician.
Your doctor can evaluate:
- If your injuries are work-related
- How serious your injuries are and how much time you might need to take off
- If you can perform light duty tasks at work
- What the scope of your treatment will be
- If you suffered a permanent disability because of your workplace injury
- When you are able to return to work
If you don’t seek medical help right away for a workplace injury, you could face problems getting your workers’ compensation benefits approved. Your employer’s workers’ comp insurance provider could try to prove you didn’t injure yourself at work.
Getting help with a workers’ compensation claim
You may need to seek help getting maximum workers’ compensation benefits. You should consult an attorney if your workers’ comp benefits are denied or aren’t as much as you feel you need. You want to get the help you need to get your life more back to normal.
You shouldn’t have to worry about how an injury you suffer at work will impact your ability to pay your bills. With proper workers’ compensation, you can move forward and focus on your recovery.