If you or your coworkers sustain an injury because of your work, it’s essential to report the event as soon as possible so that you can make a workers’ compensation claim.
Time is of the essence when reporting an accident because you need to have proof and make sure you get the proper medical assistance and time off as needed. Your employer is legally bound to provide you with this leave and compensate you for any treatment necessary in your recovery. If you do not file a claim, you won’t have any compensation or assistance within reach.
The hard part is when an employer denies your claims or simply refuses to report the accident. If you wait even just 24 hours before reporting, you risk giving yourself a much harder time throughout your workers’ compensation claim process.
So, what should you do if your employer does not report any accidents that have affected you or your coworkers?
Make Sure You Have Informed Your Employer With All the Details
If your employer hasn’t reported the accident, don’t assume the worst just yet. It may be possible that they simply don’t have all the information they need to move forward with their report.
Make sure you have informed your employer about the details of the accident, including those involved and the time and date it happened. Have evidence of the injuries handy and keep a copy for yourself. Then, just make sure you remind them to file your workers’ compensation claim to the right departments in a timely manner.
Seek Out Your State’s Recommendations
If your employer hasn’t found the time to file or even directly refuses to report your accident, then it’s time to reach out to the Department of Labor. Each state will have a specific process of filing for a claim, so you’ll need to let them know about the entire situation and how your employer won’t cooperate.
For this route, you’ll need to have evidence on hand and be sure to follow the next steps provided by your state’s labor department. They can help you move things along with the right process.
Get Legal Assistance
In situations like this, it can be tricky to just rely on the state. It’s especially dicey if your employer is purposely trying to deny the accident. It may come down to your word versus your employer, so it could be better to get legal assistance.
From the beginning, it’s a smart move to talk to a consultant anyway so that you have options. If your employer complies, then things should go smoothly. If they don’t, then at least you will already know what challenges lie ahead and what steps you can take to get your due compensation.
Conclusion
Nobody wants to get into an accident, and having issues trying to get compensation for such an occurrence is even lower in the barrel. Make sure you are reaching out to the right resources so you have a better chance at getting your claim. You need to be swift with your actions because workers’ compensation laws tend to shift quite a bit.
If you need assistance after an accident, reach out to a reliable workers’ compensation law firm in Northern California. Pacific Workers’, The Lawyers for Injured Workers has an award-winning team of workers’ compensation consultants ready to help. Call 800-606-6999 for a free consultation.
