Regardless of your work duties, you could suffer an injury on the job. Most employers are required to maintain workers’ compensation insurance to protect themselves and their employees in the event of a workplace accident or work-related injury. Workers’ compensation includes medical benefits and covers about two-thirds of the worker’s regular salary while he or she is unable to work after a set amount of time, which can vary from after three days off work until after 12 days off work. Workers’ compensation laws vary from one state to another. What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover? If you suffer an injury on the job, workers’ compensation’s medical benefits will cover the cost of the care you need to treat the injury. Medical benefits cover the cost of any necessary care for your injury and so you can recover. These costs might include immediate expenses or long-term costs. They might range from the ambulance ride to the ER visit to the specialist visit to physical therapy or rehabilitation. If you seek medical care from an approved provider (most employers and their workers’ compensation insurers have a network of providers) and that provider refers you to therapy or rehabilitation, it is medically necessary, and the workers’ compensation medical benefits should cover your claim. Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim You will need to notify your employer of any injury as soon as possible. State laws vary regarding how long you have in order to notify your employer, but usually, you have anywhere from three days to 30 days to make proper notification. Your employer will be required to complete an accident report. When you establish medical treatment, you will most likely be required to use a doctor that is on the approved list of providers in the network used by your employer and their workers’ comp insurer. Failure to use the provider from that list could result in loss of medical benefits and could cause your claim to be denied. Workers’ compensation laws are complicated, so you need to make sure you adhere to the laws in your state and that you do everything you can to maintain documentation and evidence. Just missing one deadline or failing to turn in one document could result in your claim’s denial. Be sure you work with a workers’ compensation lawyer who is familiar with handling the different kinds of accident injury claims. An attorney will know the claims process for workers’ compensation in your state. Consult With a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer If you have suffered a workplace injury that requires rehabilitation and medical care, you should consult with a workers’ compensation attorney. Such claims can be challenging, and you don’t want to risk losing access to the benefits that you need during such a challenging time. With the help of a workplace injury lawyer, your odds of a successful claim increase significantly. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form today, so you can make sure your claim gets on the right track! Additional Resources What Damages Can I Receive For My Claim? What Is Vocational Rehabilitation?
