Accidents at work are sudden events that may cause physical and or emotional damage. Understanding a little about workers compensation and what to do if you are involved in a work related injury are important to both your financial and personal health. Workers compensation is a system that exists in all states that protects workers who become injured on the job or contract an illness because of contaminants that the employee was exposed to during the normal course of their job. When an employee becomes injured they file a worker’s compensation claim. Workmen’s comp is a no fault system that allows injured or sick employees to receive benefits which usually include medical benefits, and a portion of their salary. If you are involved in an accident it is important that you notify your employer immediately and fill out an accident claim form after you have received medical attention. Regardless of whether you think it is a long sustainable injury or something minor do it now, while all the details of who, what, where and when are still easily recalled. There are numerous times when an employee would try to file a claim because of a nagging injury that took place on an unspecified date. Because the employer was not made aware of the personal injury claim at the time it happened, it becomes more unclear and argumentative over whether or not the injury occurred while performing their job. In conclusion, accidents unfortunately do happen on the job. It is the employees responsibility to report the injury as soon as it occurs. It is the managers responsibility to investigate the claim. The reasons for this are twofold. First it helps to ensure the employee gets the medical care and compensation that they are entitled to by law. Second it is management’s right to investigate the accident and take appropriate measures to see that that type of accident does not happen again.
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