Important Tips for Getting Workers Compensation
If you have ever been injured on the job you already know how difficult it can be in getting your workers compensation benefits. The process is often difficult to understand and many are denied on obtaining the benefits that are due to them.
When getting help it is important to find good legal representation. You will want to hire a workers compensation attorney in the area that you live. When hiring an attorney you want to make sure they are board certified and specialize in this area in the legal field.
Here are some additional important tips to remember:
1. As soon as you have an accident at work it is important to REPORT IT immediately! It doesn’t matter if it’s a small injury or a large one but report it immediately to whoever is in charge.
2. Take the time out of your busy day and fill out all the paperwork that is involved in reporting a workplace injury. This may seem like a tedious task to you but it’s important to completely fill them out and to read all of the fine print before signing and dating those forms.
3. Seek medical attention as soon as you can! This medical attention can be a doctor provided to you by your workplace, your family physician or one at a nearby hospital. Get that doctor to check you out from head-to-toe and to document all findings no matter how small they are. Obtain a written copy of any reports from that medical treatment and submit them to your employer and keep copies on-hand in your possession.
4. If you get a sense that your injury or the workers compensation involved with your injury could be a problem hire an attorney right away. Don’t wait for 2 or 3 months down the road to consult with legal services…by then it might be too late.
5. Don’t sign any legal documentation from your company or their legal representatives without first consulting your own attorney. When injuries occur companies usually want to settle them right away and make you an offer. In most cases, that offer benefits the company and not YOU!
It doesn’t matter if you are hiring a workers compensation attorney in Kansas City or one in New York City…all of the above tips apply. Take your time and consultant a legal professional before you sign any settlement agreements.
