As soon as you’re injured or discover a work-related illness, you must contact your supervisor immediately and provide him/her with full details of the incident, including the date and place of the injury. Make sure you provide your employer with a descriptive illustration as to what occurred in addition to requesting any witnesses (example - coworkers who saw the accident occur) to provide a statement on your behalf. Once you have lost a day, shift, or turn of work, your employer must report your injury or illness to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
Note, if you fail to properly inform your employer about your work-related injury within 120 days from the date in which it occurred, then you will be barred from filing a claim against them. This is why it is so important to act with haste in providing them with the required notification. You will not receive compensation for your injuries until you file a claim.
Your employer may choose to either accept or deny the claim. If denied, you have the right to file a claim with the bureau for a hearing before a workers’ compensation judge. Further, if your employer does not have workers’ compensation insurance to cover your damages, you may be eligible for benefits from the Uninsured Employer Guaranty Fund.