It’s unfortunate if you suffer an injury, and even more so when it happens in the workplace where you’re trying to make a living.
Many employers have precautions and safety measures set to protect their employees and even despite those, accidents tend to happen. This is inevitable and employees should be familiar with the benefits and compensations they are entitled to when they get injured at work.
Report the accident to protect your rights
The easiest way to protect your rights is to report the injury at work as soon as possible. We recommend reporting to your manager or employer immediately, on the same day or within a few days after the injury at work has occurred. This works in your favor.
In some cases, the injury is just too severe so you won’t be able to report it yourself. In that case, you must have someone to do it for you. A good option would be one of your colleagues or a member of your family. In most states, employers are obligated to cover an employee’s insurance if he/she suffers an injury at work. Make sure that this is taken care of and that you get coverage.
File a claim if needed
If your injury at work report wasn’t taken seriously, and you didn’t hear back from your employer or Human Resource department, the next step would be to file a claim in your industrial/compensational court. We at Schenk Podolsky always emphasize that workers are entitled to their benefits if they get injured at work. In case that your employer hasn’t compensated you enough, hire a lawyer to represent you.
Learn about your rights
Most workers are completely unaware of their rights or what are they entitled to in case they suffer an injury at work. Be aware that employee’s benefits include reimbursement for medical bills and even belongings that were damaged in the accident. Furthermore, you can also be entitled to monetary compensation, disability payments, accessibility tools (in case you’re handicapped) and coverage for rehabilitation. And in most severe situations, where death has occurred, the employee’s family is entitled to have the burial costs covered.
Some of these rights differ depending on where you live, but they all include sufficient compensation or coverage for your insurance. Seeking medical treatment and consulting with a doctor is #1 on your priority list after you suffer an injury at work. As long as your doctor advises you to be on sick leave, you legally qualify for paid sick leave. Furthermore, you are allowed to return back to work once the doctor signs an approval and releases you back to work.
Accidents at work that result in permanent injury and thus prevent you from working anymore, have a substantial disability compensation. And your employer is legally obligated to pay it. In the event that you don’t feel the insurance company paid you enough for medical treatment, you have the right to appeal to these decisions.
