What Should I Do If I Am Injured at Work?
If you suffer an injury on the job, the following steps improve your chances of recovery and help your workers’ compensation claim process be more efficient and effective:
- Notify your employer – Report the injury to your boss as soon as possible even if you do not think the injury was a big deal. Reporting the injury in writing (by email or text message) is the best practice if its possible.
- Fill out the required forms – Your employer should give you a form about how the injury, including the date, time, location, and nature of the incident. Make sure to fill out this form and keep a copy for yourself.
- Get medical attention – See a doctor as quickly as you can even if you think your injury is minor. If you do not have a primary care doctor, go to an urgent care or walk-in clinic. The sooner you have medical documentation of the injury, the harder it is for the insurance company to claim your injury did not occur at work. When you see a doctor, explain that you received your injury at work. Follow all instructions and treatment plans your doctor prescribes.
- Save documentation – Make sure to keep copies of all incident reports, medical records, and injury-related expenses to ensure your claim is accepted or you have the evidence needed to win at a formal hearing (the name of a trial at the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission). Insurance companies are always looking for a reason to deny a claim, but having the paperwork to back up your claim helps show that the insurance company is wrong to deny your workers’ compensation claim.
- File a formal claim with the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission – Reporting the injury to your employer is a required step, but in order to officially file your workers’ compensation claim, you need to file a claim with the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission within one year of the date of your injury or when you learn of your work related illness.
- Consider Contact a Connecticut workers’ comp attorney – The claims process can be complicated, and you may face unexpected challenges. Working with an experienced lawyer can help the process go more smoothly and ensure you receive the benefits you are entitled to under the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act.
Am I Required to Report My Injury to My Employer?
Yes, the law requires that you report a job-related injury or illness to your employer immediately after it happens, or you discover the illness is work-related. Your employer must then immediately notify their insurer. Once your claim is successfully submitted, your employer or their insurer should begin paying your wage replacement benefits.
Do I Really Only have One Year to file a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
Yes, you only have one year from the date of the injury to file a claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. A few exceptions exist to this rule (the biggest one being if the employer/insurance company has been paying for medical treatment), but it is always best to file the claim within one year of the date of injury. Simply reporting your injury to your employer is not enough to file your Workers’ Compensation Claim. To file a claim, a Form 30C must be filed with the Workers’ Compensation Commission.
Contact our workers’ compensation lawyer today with any questions or get help filing your claim on time.