Should I Report My Work Related Injury?
Even though it is easy to imagine a work injury as something violent and dangerous, the truth is that a lot of injuries do not seem like much at first. People that get hurt at work are good employees, and most of the time, all they want to do is get back to work. If you slip and fall or someone hits you with a board by accident, you may not feel very hurt in the moment. Someone may tell you to get back to work or you may think to yourself: “I just need a minute to shake it off.” As we have previously mentioned, you only have four days to report a work injury in writing to your supervisor. If you miss that deadline, you still need to report it as soon as possible. The longer you wait to tell anyone, the more likely it is that the insurance company will to deny the claim and make you go to a hearing where a judge will decide if it is a work-related injury.
In some cases, your injury may not need treatment until four or five days later when your soreness does not go away or your swelling does not go down as it should. It may sound like a very “lawyer” thing to say, but in this case it really is important to “err on the side of caution”, so to speak. If you were hurt at work, you do not have anything to lose from reporting an injury that does not turn out to require medical attention. If you do not report something that ends up hurting you, the insurance company can deny your claim and leave you to pay for your medical bills on your own or begin a very complicated legal fight.
In the event that your claim has already been denied, for any reason, it is best to get an attorney involved. (You will know this if they have filed a Notice of Contest, which usually comes on green paper). Most Workers’ Compensation attorneys (myself included) will evaluate your case for free, all it takes is a call. If you have been hurt and want someone to fight for you, call me at 303-792-5595 or submit a request for someone from our office to contact you.
