You may be required to see a doctor selected by your employer. If you are injured on the job, your employer's insurance company is obligated to pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatment. Your union steward and the employer should obtain the names of workers who witnessed your injury or assisted you afterward, as you may need this information if you seek workers' compensation benefits. You also may be entitled to temporary or permanent disability benefits or vocational rehabilitation benefits. If you file a claim for benefits and it is rejected, you may appeal the ruling, even to the courts.
Experts recommend seeking legal advice.
The U.S. Department of Labor advises that private-sector and state and local government workers injured on the job should contact their state workers' compensation board . The department's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs also has specific information for federal workers, coal mine workers and longshore and harbor workers. The AFL-CIO's compilation of workers' compensation links , including state agencies. The Center to Protect Workers' Rights site of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department, with information about the center's safety and health resources. The Injured Workers of America site with alphabetized links.