A sudden workplace injury can make it difficult for you to return to work and even complete the normal daily tasks of living. If you get injured at work, you may become eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, which can include wage-loss benefits, compensation for medical care, temporary disability benefits and other benefits.
The purpose of the workers’ compensation system is to help you recover from your accident. But to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, there are certain steps you must take after getting hurt.
Reporting the injury
You should let your employer or supervisor know about the injury as soon as you can. If the illness or injury you have developed over time, let your employer know about it as soon as you believe your job caused it.
According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, you must report your injury to your employer within 30 days. If you do not do this, you might lose your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits.
Receiving medical care
If you need emergency medical care for your injury, do not put this off. If your injury requires non-emergency care, your employer may let you know where you should go to receive treatment. When seeing a physician, let him or her know that you are there to treat a job-related illness or injury.
Even if you follow the correct process for reporting your workplace injury, your claim for benefits could still get denied. If this happens, take legal action to protect your right to workers’ compensation benefits, so you can focus on recovering from the accident.