Before You Make Your Workers Compensation Claim, Read This

Law Blog

If you become sick or get injured at work, you can make a workers compensation claim against your employer. The compensation itself is a form of insurance payment that is designed to cover your medical expenses as well as rehabilitation and your wages while you're unfit for work. However, the process involved in lodging a workers compensation claim is not straightforward. In fact, unless you understand the law perfectly, it's often recommended that you consider the services of a compensation lawyer. Nevertheless, before you do that, it's imperative to know a thing or two first about workers compensation claims. Therefore, here is all you need to know.

Lodge Your Claim Quickly

It's imperative that you file your claim quickly because delays can work against you. When filing your claim, remember to do it accurately. Provide as many details as you possibly can about the sickness or injury but make sure you are giving accurate information. Your information should include evidence that your injuries were sustained at work or that they were related to your work duties.

Seek Medical Treatment

It's also important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. First, this will ensure that your sickness or injuries don't develop into something more serious. Delaying treatment can also give your employer and his or her insurance company an edge to argue that if you were willing to forego medical care, your sickness or injuries may not have been that significant to warrant a compensation. Also, while seeking treatment, make sure the doctor or physician understands that you became ill or were injured on the job.

The burden of proof is often a requirement in workers compensation cases. Therefore, your doctor or physician may need to provide their opinion regarding whether or not your sickness or injuries are related to your work. To make it easy for the doctor, make sure you fully describe your job duties.

Get Witness Statements

It's not always a guarantee that you'll be compensated if you become sick or suffer injuries while at work. Some of the injuries may be due to your own carelessness. Therefore, to make a strong case or claim, you need to provide evidence showing that your sickness or injury was the employer's fault. For instance, you can prove that you suffered an injury due to unsafe working conditions. One effective way to do this is to obtain witness statements. It would also be a good idea to gather written rather than verbal statements, which may change over time as the witnesses' memory fades.

For more guidance, talk to an attorney at firms like Bell Lawyers.

Share

24 August 2018

Fact And Fiction: Accurate Information About The Law

I love reading novels that involve complex legal cases. I particularly enjoy those that are told from the defendant's viewpoint, but any well-written legal fiction will capture my imagination. My interest comes from being a court stenographer when I was much younger and seeing the dramas in real-life! Nothing irritates me more than a novel which includes legal fallacies. Fiction or not, I am a stickler for accuracy. I like to do research and check if a court case in one of my novels could play out in real life. It has become quite a hobby and I spend a lot of time in the law section of my university's library. I'm sure there are other people who are interested in the law for various reasons and I would like to share some of the knowledge I've gained. I hope you find my blog fascinating and worthwhile.