Through various postings, this blog has detailed workplace accidents occurring throughout San Diego, California, and across the country more broadly. Often, in the wake of such accidents, workers’ compensation is the end result, but what about the process? How does an injured worker go about securing benefits? How does an injured worker seek care?
There is a simple solution to all of these questions. Detailed below are a few key points to bear in mind should an employee ever encounter a workplace injury resulting from a workplace accident in San Diego or elsewhere across the country.
The first thing to do is report the injury. It is critical to report all injuries and illnesses to Human Resources, a supervisor or the department that deals with handling risk management. When seeking care for the injury or illness, it is important to report to the care facility, be that a hospital or doctor’s office, that you were hurt on the job. This ensures that the subsequent medical bills are issued to the employer or insurer rather than the injured employee.
That leads well into the next point: care. Who should an injured worker be seen by? Often, an employer will recommend a doctor and that is the best person for the injured to be seen by. A patient may only see their regular primary care doctor if they are sure that the doctor is workers’ compensation certified.
While this is laid out fairly simply, the process can still be overwhelming. If a worker is injured in San Diego, they may do well to seek experienced legal counsel to guide them through the process.
Source: STL Today, “10 Things to Know About Workers’ Compensation,” Dona DeZube, May 1, 2012