After you have suffered a job-related injury or illness, it’s critical to know what steps to take in order to protect your interest and give yourself the best chances of being approved for workers’ compensation benefits.
SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT
After you learn of your workplace injury or illness, it’s important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Obtaining prompt medical attention and following the doctor’s treatment plan is critical to obtaining workers’ compensation benefits.
NOTIFY YOUR EMPLOYER OF YOUR INJURY RIGHT AWAY
As soon as possible after your the onset of your injury or illness, you should report the incident to your employer. Time limits are put into place with regard to reporting injuries or illnesses to your employer, and after the time limit has expired, your claim for workers’ compensation benefits will be denied. In Alabama, a worker has only 5 days to report their injury.
SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM A WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ATTORNEY
Although workers’ compensation is meant to assist you after a workplace injury or illness, at the end of the day, it is still an insurance company. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the insurance company is on your side and will bend over backward to help you; to the contrary, it’s the insurance company’s job to reduce its bottom line and pay as little as possible toward your injury in order to maximize its own profits. It’s important to seek the help of an seasoned workers’ compensation attorney who knows how these insurance companies operate and can see through the games that the companies play.