When you get hurt at work, it’s essential to report the incident as soon as you can. Typically, you have 45 days to do so, but it’s best to do it sooner if you can. After your employer has been notified, you may want to look into hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer so that you can fight for the compensation you’re entitled to. Be sure to work with someone who understands what’s required for building the best case. When you get hurt at work, don’t take any risks—contact an Elk Grove Village work injury attorney to get the claims process started.
Learn About Common Workplace Injuries
When you’ve been injured at work, it can be difficult to tell whether your injuries will be eligible for workers’ compensation. One way to determine whether you have a viable case is to learn more about the most common work injuries and compare them to your own incident. This way, you can see if there are similar cases to yours.
Some of the most common workplace injuries include:
- Struck against an object: When a person is injured in an incident involving a window, wall, or door.
- Workplace assaults: Injuries sustained when one or more workers is assaulted on the job.
- Slips and falls: Slipping and falling on uneven surfaces.
- Struck by an object: Injuries caused by falling or dropped objects.
- Fall to a lower level: Injuries involving falling off a roof or ladder, or falling down stairs, for instance.
- Overexertion: Perhaps the most common workplace injuries, these involve lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, throwing, and holding.
- Traffic incidents: Injuries sustained during use of company vehicles.
- Caught in/compressed by: Injuries that involve heavy machinery, typically in factories.
What To Know About Worker’s Compensation Cases
A workers’ compensation in Elk Grove Village will be able to explain the ins and outs of the claims process to you. However, it’s beneficial to learn some of these things just for your own knowledge bank. For instance, finding out what the statute of limitations is, what paperwork you’ll need to keep, and what kind of compensation to fight for. The different types of compensation can include medical bill reimbursement, lost wages, and permanent injury. If you need help understanding any of this, a work injury attorney will be a great help.
The Process for Filing a Claim
Filing a workers’ compensation claim can be a complicated processing, but getting help from a work injury attorney can make it much easier.
First, you will need to report the injury to your employer. Do this as soon as you can after the incident. If you seek medical attention, be sure to let the medical staff know that your injury is work related. You need to do this because some employers require their employees to see specific doctors or visit specific facilities.
Next, the doctors or your employer will contact the insurance carrier with information, and the carrier will then open a benefits claim. After the claim is reviewed, if it is found to be compensable, the carrier will contact the injured person and the employer to determine what the compensation’s rate of pay will be. If the claim is denied, the injured person will have an opportunity to appeal that.