What Steps Should You Take After Being Injured at Work?
If you or somebody you care about has sustained an injury on the job, you should be able to recover compensation for your losses. However, even though the workers’ compensation system is fairly cut and dry, there are still various steps that you need to take in order to ensure that your claim is paid out in a timely manner.
Seek Medical Care
It is critical for any workplace injury victim to seek medical care as soon as possible. Even if an individual does not think they have sustained a severe injury, they still need to take time to go to the doctor. We strongly recommend asking to go to the doctor even if the injury occurs in the middle of the workday.
There are a few reasons why seeking immediate medical care is important period first, your well-being is the most important aspect of this entire process. Seeking prompt medical care ensures that you are looked after quickly. Additionally, when you seek quick medical care, this establishes a strong link between the incident in the workplace and any injuries you sustained. This is important for insurance purposes.
Report the Work Injury Immediately
Reporting the workplace injury is just as important as seeking prompt medical care. In Illinois, there are various deadlines you need to be aware of when it comes to workplace injuries. Under state law, all workers are required to report workplace injuries or illnesses within 45 days from when the injury or illness occurs. There will be some flexibility, particularly for injuries or illnesses that are not immediately known. Typically, a person will have 45 days from when they are diagnosed with an injury or illness to report the problem to their employer.
Overall, the workers’ compensation statute of limitations in this state is three years. After a claim has been reported to the employer, a worker will still have three years from the date their injury or illness occurs (or is diagnosed) to file a workers’ compensation claim to receive benefits.
Gather Evidence
Gathering evidence after an injury occurs is critical. If possible, we encourage individuals to use a phone or a camera to take photographs of the scene of the incident if it is safe to do so. This can include causes of the injury, the injury itself, any hazards around the area, warning signs, and more. Additionally, if there were any eyewitnesses, such as coworkers in the vicinity, you need to write down their names and contact information so they can give their statements to the insurance carrier or a personal injury attorney if necessary.
Continue all Medical Treatment
We strongly encourage all workplace injury victims in Illinois to continue medical treatment until their doctor says they have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). This will be the point where any further medical treatment is unlikely to change the worker’s condition. If a person fails to follow all medical treatment prescribed by their doctor after sustaining a workplace injury, they risk not receiving full benefits.
Contact an Attorney
Any workplace injury victim in Illinois deserves compensation. However, if you or somebody you love has received pushback from your employer or the workers’ compensation insurance carrier, you need to contact a work injury attorney in Chicago immediately. A skilled attorney will examine every aspect of your claim and help you go through the entire appeals process to ensure you receive maximum compensation available under the law.