A recent survey conducted by the insurance industry shows that 1 in 7 employees will be injured at work during any given year. This startling statistic is shadowed by the other data revealed in this study. Of the injured workers counted in the study, less than half actually report their injury. Most employees believe that their injury is either too small to make a claim or believe that their job may be in danger if they reveal the injury.
What Employees Need To Know
1. There Are Laws In Place To Protect You. As an employee, you have specific protections under workers compensation laws to have your injury cared for when it occurs at work. According to one workmans comp lawyer in Michigan, “Injuries and illnesses covered by workers’ compensation benefits can be caused by a specific incident or by constant and repetitive stresses of the job.” You are entitled to receive all the necessary medical care to ‘make whole’ your injury, and you may also be entitled to additional compensations. You are protected from your employer firing you for making a claim against their insurance policy. In fact, you will have the right to sue your employer for wrongful dismissal if they try to relieve you of your duties due to an injury.
2. You Need To File A Report. Any injury that you receive should be documented with an injury report at your work. Regardless of size or severity, you should document all injuries. Even a small injury can lead to something larger down the road. Without that documentation, you cannot claim benefits for your injury.
3. Understand State Laws. Take a moment of your time and visit your state workers compensation website and look over the data. You will gain some useful knowledge about these laws in your state. Knowledge is always beneficial. In addition to knowing your rights, this will also help you determine if your employers possibly violating those rights.
4. Hire An Attorney. The best thing that an employee can do when they have been injured is hire a workers compensation or personal injury attorney. An attorney can help you easily navigate the workers compensation system, ensure that you are receiving the full benefits that you are entitled to, and offer you any legal advice or help may need with your employer.
5. Follow Medical Advice. It is very important that you follow all medical advice and treatment options that are given to you under workers comp. Failure to follow directions, missing appointments, or going against doctor’s orders can have your case closed immediately. The insurance company will view these actions as wither you want to remain injured and therefore are committing fraud, or that you are healed and no longer require treatment.
The most important thing, however, that an employee must remember is that their health is their greatest asset. Any injury can lead to permanent damage, and every injury deserves to receive the proper medical care. Your employer is required to cover you either under their own policy if they are a small employer or under workers compensation if they are a larger employer. Your job is not at risk, and if it is, you have other rights under the law to protect you.
As an author with a wide variety of employment experience, Molly Pearce shares this article to remind reader’s of the importance of knowing their employer’s workman’s compensation policies. She often writes on the topics of health, law, and human rights. She searched
workmans comp lawyer in Michigan to find out more about employment laws in the U.S.
